Battle of the Wits
by Sailor Elf
Summary: As Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli head towards the inevitable battles to come, they are warned that something will happen. Things become worse when during the battle, the warnings come to life. Set during RotK. AU.
1. Curiousity

Disclaimer - I wish I could own these characters (along with anyone else in Lord of the Rings) but I don't and I never will ever. Any original character is mine (namely Nanaylia).

Summary - As Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli head towards the inevitable battles to come, they are warned that something will happen. Things become worse when during the battle, the warnings come to life.

Author's Note - This is connected to the events of 'Sisterly Love'. I think it's going to be a mixture of both the book and the movie. (I know there are elements of the book in here.)

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Battle of the Wits

Legolas stood at the window, gazing out over the forest nearby, barely paying any attention to anything or anyone else around him. Aragorn stepped up behind his friend, worried that something terrible might be wrong.

"What is the matter, Legolas?" wondered Aragorn.

Legolas shook his head, indicating that either nothing was wrong or he didn't want to talk about it. Aragorn decided to remain quiet, knowing that Legolas needed all the strength he could get before the upcoming battles. Aragorn began to leave the area so his friend alone to his thoughts after what recently happened at Helm's Deep and the reality the elf now had to deal with.

"I'll be waiting for you in my room if you ever need to talk about anything. I do believe that Gimli would surely listen as well. I'm sure this must be a difficult time for you," Aragorn told him.

Legolas turned his head enough to watch his friend step towards the nearby door. The elf desperately wanted to talk about what recently happened but he couldn't find his voice. There was a fear in the back of his mind that the enemies would find out and exploit it somehow or be taunted over it by just about anyone.

"I am glad that Nanaylia is no longer here or needed for anything concerning this war," he whispered.

He slowly stood up and stepped towards the door that Aragorn had recently walked through, hoping that nothing serious would happen along the way.

00000

Haldir carefully watched Nanaylia on their journey back to Lothlorien. She appeared sad with the recent parting with her brother.

"You do not have to work about Legolas, my dear Nanaylia. He is old enough to take care of himself," Haldir tried to assure her.

"I know that but I have this feeling eating at my mind that something is going to happen," she quietly replied.

Haldir placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. She glanced up to see a smile on his face and gave a barely audible sigh.

"Does this melancholy of yours have something to do with Elrond sending Elladan and Elrohir out to help them with their journey?" wondered Haldir.

Nanaylia nodded in reply and Haldir was mentally kicking himself for not seeing that earlier. He should have remembered that she was close with more than one elf.

"Listen, you'll see them again, don't you worry. Legolas and Elladan are both very skilled warriors and they're both survivors," Haldir said.

Nanaylia's stare slowly turned towards Haldir's direction. She was slow in completely trusting his words for she didn't how bad the numbers were going to be in the end. She didn't know if her brother or lover were going to return alive. For all she knew, she didn't know if they were going to make it in time for the birth of her child.

'_If only I could assure her that everything will be fine. For that matter, I am unsure if things will turn out fine,'_ Haldir thought to himself.

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Legolas paced back and forth a few times as Gimli carefully watched him. The dwarf was slowly becoming slightly irritated with the elf's behavior, despite knowing what happened. They had already been on their way for a few days now with barely any hope in sight.

"Can't you sit still, Elf?" Gimli suddenly asked.

"Would you sit still if you were unwittingly attacked and worried about what was to come? You do not have the same experience with the gargoyles as I do _Dwarf_," Legolas replied.

Gimli stared at him, knowing that the elf was correct with his words. Aragorn stepped into the tent and glanced between his two companions.

"Prepare yourselves, my friends, we have company," Aragorn told them.

Legolas and Gimli glanced between each other, wondering who would be coming to 'visit' them here. The two hurried after Aragorn to see who had arrived.

When the elf turned the corner of the tent, he saw two familiar faces that he did not expect to see for a while.

"Elladan, Elrohir, what are you doing here?" Legolas managed to ask.

"Our father almost did not want us to come but we managed to persuade him. We are all in this together," Elladan explained.

Legolas was surprised as he grasped the arms the two brothers. He glanced between them before setting his look on Elladan. He drew closer as to not let too many others know.

"What about my sister? I imagine she worries for your safety and you do have a family to worry about soon enough," Legolas whispered to him.

"I know she does for you as well, dear friend. She was very adamant against you coming on this journey. If my memory serves me correctly, she did follow you since she was so worried," Elladan replied

Legolas nodded, knowing fully well the actions his sister took. He slowly turned away from the twins and began to walk away from them. Elrohir narrowed his eyes as they watched him walk away from the group.

"His actions are unlike him. He is not the same elf as when he left," he quietly mused to his brother.

Elladan nodded in total agreement before they followed Aragorn and Gimli in the other direction. Legolas watched the twins out of the corner of his eye, knowing they suspected something but found himself to be incredibly afraid to tell them. Not only that, he didn't want to see them worry over him as well as Nanaylia.

'_I hope nothing happens before this war is over,'_ Legolas thought.

TBC…


	2. A Warning

The twins carefully watched Legolas as the small group talked between them. Elladan finally stepped up to Aragorn when his curiousity finally got the better of him. The man sensed the elf seemed tentative to voice his concerns.

"Aragorn, we sense something is different with Legolas. What has happened?" he barely asked.

Aragorn glanced around the area before leading the two brothers towards a nearby tent. Elrohir became worried when he saw Aragorn give a sigh and leaned in closer.

"Something has happened recently but it's not really my place to tell the story. I am confident that he will tell you when he feels ready," Aragorn barely told them.

He inwardly hoped that Legolas didn't hear him as they began to make plans about what to do. They were hopelessly outnumbered yet and Aragorn was inwardly nervous about what to do next but he knew it was for the best.

"Aragorn, is something the matter? You seemed distant about something," pondered Elladan.

That broke the man out of his trance. He gave the two brothers what he hoped was a comforting smile before saying anything.

"Everything is fine. Believe me, it is," he replied.

He walked away from them, trying to hide the strange feeling he had that _something_ might happen. He failed miserably for the twins picked up the vibes almost immediately.

"Something dangerous is going to happen to this group soon enough and I fear it will not bode well for our friends," Elladan quietly told his brother.

They soon joined Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and the others to discuss what the next plans were going to be: heading into the Path of the Dead.

"Do you honestly think that these dead soldiers will really listen to us? After all, they've betrayed their fellow man once before, I am certain they would not hesitate to do it again," one of the rangers asked.

"I feel certain they will not this time. After all, there is something they do not know," Aragorn replied.

The rangers appeared a bit skeptical before they headed to prepare themselves for the journey. Legolas carefully watched the others, knowing that they might suspect something to happen in the near future. He didn't want to say anything to them but the idea that no one knew how the enemy was going to react, scared him.

The elf began to head out of the area, never noticing Aragorn watch him leave. Gimli stepped up to the man's side and shook his head.

"I know I haven't known the elf very long but he has changed," Gimli mused.

"Yes, he has. That is what's scaring me right now. I fear more danger is approaching our Elven friend. Whether he is aware of this fear, I am unsure," Aragorn replied.

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Legolas moved in beside one of the tents, hiding from view of his friends. He could sense their immense worry for him over what recently happened. He lifted his hand and stared at it, knowing he would have to tell the twins sometime and somehow what had happened to him at Helm's Deep.

He simply didn't know when or how, which unnerved him.

Legolas found himself slowly being overwhelmed with a fear he could not understand. He hoped that whatever was coming, it would come along quickly.

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As they headed towards the Paths of the Dead, Aragorn continually watched his Elven friend out of the corner of his eye, as did Gimli. The Man and Dwarf didn't know what to expect once they got there. For all they knew, Legolas could drop to the ground and begin a transformation.

The group stepped up to the entrance and stared into the darkness. Legolas was mildly nervous for the confined area but the fact that it was gloomy quickly made up for it. He gulped and watched Aragorn step into the darkness. He immediately followed, with the twins following close behind. None noticed that the dwarf remained outside the dark tunnel, petrified of what was inside.

"No one should hear of this, an elf dare go underground! One that is now nervous of such a place while a dwarf should not!" Gimli muttered.

He gulped and rallied enough courage to trail in after the elves and men.

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They slowly made their way further into the caverns. The group glanced around to see no immediate danger but all were on their guard. Aragorn soon halted and called out for the men long past.

Silence came and Gimli gave a small huff as he stepped past the elf and stood next to the man. Aragorn took notice of the dwarf out of the corner of his eye.

"There is no one here. This was a waste of time," the dwarf snorted.

"No, it wasn't. I can sense their presence and I do believe that I can see them faintly," Legolas protested.

He narrowed his eyes within the darkness to see the shapes slowly following them. Aragorn stepped up to his friend and placed a hand on his shoulder as the ghosts slowly approached them. One floated up to them and stared at them intensely.

"Who dares venture in here?" he demanded, glancing over the group.

The group was slightly nervous, unsure how to answer as the king floated towards Legolas, who narrowed his eyes. The elf tensed up, unsure how the ghost was going to react to his presence.

"I do not understand why you are here. You have a great evil following you," the ethereal king said.

"You speak of lies! Legolas has no one following him! He has no enemies anywhere near here!" Elrohir protested.

The ghost turned his head towards the elf and silently moved in his direction. He carefully eyed Elrohir before turning his stare to Elladan, who seemed as defiant as his brother.

"You should be careful in your protests for you do not know half the things my comrades and I have seen in our lifetimes," the dead man said.

The twins glanced between each other, wondering what the specter meant by his words. They watched as the dead slowly made his way towards Aragorn, who pulled out his sword.

"Then we shall listen to your commands though I shall give you one word of advice. Be warned of the elf for he knows not what he is," the ghost said.

Legolas was inwardly upset and nervous over what was said about him. He wondered if the specter could sense the magic that was so recently implanted into him by Shentree. Legolas also had to wonder if it could be manipulated at all for his sister had no chance to be exposed to the kinds of power he was around now.

That made him very nervous indeed.

TBC…


	3. From Bad to Worse

Legolas quietly strode along the path as Aragorn, Gimli and the rest of the company silently followed behind him. They allowed him to be at the front of the pack since all were being cautious to his actions and reactions. Elrohir and Elladan were both suspecting something that Aragorn and Gimli knew something and they didn't like it much that they were left in the dark about their friend's situation.

"Shouldn't we have at least forewarned Elladan and Elrohir that something _might_ happen?" Gimli whispered to Aragorn.

"Nay, it is still too early to tell _if_ anything will occur, let alone when," Aragorn barely replied.

Legolas overheard the barely audible conversation but decided not to say anything for he knew they were right. The group soon stepped up to a wide river and all were amazed. All except Legolas glanced around the area and the small group looked to see a ship heading in their direction.

"The Corsairs of Umbar," muttered Gimli.

The ships slowly made their way closer to the group, the men on board soon taking notice of the visitors on shore.

"You shall go no further towards Gondor," Aragorn called out to them.

The Corsairs couldn't help but laugh at the thought that such a small group thought they could stop a whole fleet of ships.

"Legolas, fire a warning shot," Aragorn quietly told his friend.

The elf pulled out his bow, aiming it at the ship. Aragorn sensed a mild hesitation with Legolas. The man wondered if it was because the sun was blinding him again as Gimli moved his axe enough to throw off the elf's aim. The arrow embedded itself in one of the men and Legolas gave Gimli a hard look. It was then that the dwarf realized that he should be careful how far he should anger his friend.

_'The point where he gets angered has certainly changed. I didn't realize how much,'_ Gimli thought to himself.

"How do you propose to stop us? With what army do you have?" questioned the Corsairs.

"This one," Aragorn told them.

The dead lunged forward and quickly overtook the ship. Both Elladan and Elrohir took notice of Legolas' quick reaction to Gimli. As they climbed on board one of the ships, Elladan stepped up to his friend.

"Care to tell me?" he questioned.

"Tell you what?" wondered Legolas, fingering the end of his bow.

"Tell me what happened. I am part of your family now, whether you like it or not. I would appreciate being told if something is wrong with someone I care about," Elladan replied.

Legolas gave a sigh and turned his head slightly. He knew that both brothers should know what happened at Helm's Deep but he couldn't tell them. At least not yet. He returned his stare and placed a hand on Elladan's shoulder.

"Do not worry, my friend. I will tell you everything but I am afraid that now is not the time or place. It is not something I want everyone to know about. I feel too many know already," Legolas assured him.

Elladan watched as the Mirkwood elf stepped away from him, pushing the subject away as if it were nothing. He realized how much that Legolas would have to be carefully watched.

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Legolas walked up to Aragorn, who stood at the ship's prow. Gondor was slowly growing close and both knew it. The elf knew that Aragorn was worried about Minas Tirith and the future that awaited him there.

"Not much further and then we battle an overwhelming force," Legolas told him.

"That is true but we have forces of our own that should not be taken lightly. You, for instance," Aragorn replied.

Legolas shook his head and his hand, backing up a few steps. Aragorn put on a smile at the elf's reaction.

"If you think I am going to do that…" started Legolas.

"I'm not serious; I wanted to see how you'd react. After all, you're new to this situation, unlike your sister who was exposed to this kind of magic for centuries," Aragorn replied, a smile crossing his face.

Legolas was unsure how to respond he gently leaned on the railing. The two remained silent for several moments before Legolas sensed something behind him. The elf turned around to find no one there. He stood there, dumbfounded as he was certain someone was there. Aragorn narrowed his eyes, following Legolas' moves around the area.

"What is the matter, Legolas?" wondered Aragorn.

"Nothing, Aragorn. It was nothing," Legolas quietly replied.

Aragorn watched Legolas as he moved away and disappeared below decks. The man barely lowered his head, worried about what kinds of things were going through his friend's mind. He turned back around, his wait for the arrival at Minas Tirith getting closer.

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Eomer stared at the carnage surrounding him. Many men had already been lost fighting this battle and it looked like things were about to get much worse. He had already faced a large force at Helm's Deep but it seemed that this massive army was more likely to win and already there unless more help arrived soon.

"Look, it's the Corsairs of Umbar! The Corsairs of Umbar have come!" he heard someone cry.

Eomer twirled his head towards the river and blanched when he saw the boats floating towards them. He inwardly groaned.

"The situation is hopeless now. The enemy is going to overtake us for certain with these men here," Eomer quietly said.

When Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas jumped off one of the boats, the Rohirrim and Gondorians were delighted. The elf quickly moved forward into the masses, bow ever ready and not even noticing anyone else around him. Aragorn found that as much as we wanted to keep close eyes on Legolas, he couldn't. The elf made his way through the crowd, the arrows swiftly moving from his quiver to the enemies.

'_That is what I keep telling myself. They are my enemies and I have to defeat them otherwise Middle Earth will be engulfed,' _Legolas kept telling himself.

Legolas soon found he was cut off from the others but came to the realization that he was yearning for more than just the defeat of his enemies. He gulped, trying to hold back the urges that were soon overwhelming him. In the midst of his confusion, he failed to realize how low his arrows were. When he unsuccessfully tried to grab an arrow, he startled him for a split second before rapidly grabbing onto his daggers. He failed to notice someone slowly making their way closer to his position and Legolas soon discovered he was face to face with one mean-looking creature. They stared at each other for the longest time, neither saying anything nor moving.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Legolas finally demanded.

"My name is Gothmog, lieutenant of Morgul. I've been looking for you for I know of someone who wants to meet you," the creature replied.

"'Meet me'? Why would any of you want to 'meet' me?" Legolas snickered.

Gothmog smirked as they began to circle each other, carefully keeping a watchful eye on the other. Both were unsure how the other was going to react, but Gothmog had an idea. Legolas found he couldn't wait and he lunged towards him. Gothmog stepped out of the way and elbowed Legolas in the back. The elf fell to the ground, somewhat in a daze before climbing back to hit back and turning around. Before he could retaliate, Gothmog was already rushing towards him and the next thing Legolas knew, was darkness.

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The Dead swept through Pelennor Fields as did Aragorn, Gimli and the rest of their company. All were preoccupied with the events around them as the enemy soon fell to the overwhelming forces. Aragorn immediately remembered about Legolas and immediately began to search the area for his friend. He soon came upon Elladan and Elrohir and they noticed how distraught their friend appeared.

"What is the matter?" Elladan finally inquired.

"Have either of you seen Legolas since we arrived?" Aragorn frantically asked.

The two brothers glanced at each other before slowly shaking their heads. The Man's heart dropped into his stomach, the slow realization that the Elf might be dead was gradually crossing his mind.

TBC…


	4. Unsettling Inquiries

Legolas groaned, trying to wake himself up from his sleep. Stars appeared before his eyes and he was slowly coming to a few realizations. The first was that his eyes had been at least partially closed.

The second was that he couldn't move his arms.

He managed to give a small tug with his arm only to hear a clinking noise. Legolas glanced to see a chain circling both his wrists and that they were tied to each wall. The elf became more and more horrified as he wondered exactly what was going to happen to him.

'_Could it be possible that it was Sauron that this Gothmog said wanted to see me? I think I remember someone saying that the gargoyles used to help him a long time ago,'_ he wondered.

Legolas' eyes cleared and he took the chance to get a better look at his surroundings. The room was dark and dank. A few bones were piled in the corners and a black liquid stained the floor. Legolas couldn't help but feel disgusted and almost threw up from the sight though something kept him from doing so.

'_This is definitely not going to turn out well,'_ he thought.

He suddenly heard noises, along with voices, coming from behind him. No, Legolas realized, the voices were more like snarling. Fear began to overwhelm the elf for he knew bad orcs could be.

"Looks like we got ourselves some nice meat," one growled.

"We're not allowed to eat him. When he arrived, we were given instructions not to. In fact, we were told to get information out of him, unlike the other one we brought in," the other said.

'_What other one are they talking about?'_ Legolas wondered.

The two orcs moved enough to face the elf. One smacked him across the face and Legolas felt his head move to the side with little resistance.

"Why are you here?" the orc asked.

"I don't know, you filth, you're the ones who brought me," Legolas retorted.

The orc smirked as he began to circle the elf, taking note of every movement and reaction. The elf carefully watched both orcs, unsure what to expect from either of them.

"My name is Shagrat and something tells me that I'm going to have a lot of fun. Gothmog told me a few interesting things about you," Shagrat quietly told him.

He had leaned in closer to Legolas, who was visibly disgusted by the nearness and stench of the orc. Shagrat soon grabbed a dagger from his belt and began to scrape Legolas' arm. Blood began to drip from the small wound and Legolas gritted his teeth at the pain.

"Do not worry, this won't hurt a bit," the orc assured him.

The orc defined the statement by punching Legolas right in the chest. The air whooshed out of the elf's lungs and he knew he was in for a rough time.

00000

Aragorn stormed into the main hall of Minas Tirith, coming face to face with both Gandalf and Gimli. Elladan and Elrohir quickly followed him, both appearing nervous over what Aragorn's reaction was going to be.

"Where is he?" demanded Aragorn.

"Where is who exactly?" questioned Gimli.

"Legolas. He is nowhere to be found," Aragorn angrily replied.

The istari and dwarf glanced at each other, instantly becoming worried over the inquiry. Gandalf stepped closer to him, hoping that nothing too serious happened.

"I have not seen him for some time," Gandalf told him.

Aragorn glanced at Gimli, who shook his head. The man twirled around to face the twins, storming right between them and out the door. Gimli watched him leave, moving closer towards the door.

"Even though I haven't known the Elf that long, I haven't known him to make a mistake like this," the dwarf said.

Gandalf didn't reply, heading after Aragorn himself. The two brothers and Gimli soon followed him, knowing fully what they might find.

00000

Aragorn moved over the dead bodies remaining on the battlefield. There were only a few moving over the bodies to see if there was anyone still left alive. So far, there had been no sign of Legolas yet Aragorn knew he was far from giving up hope.

"Aragorn," he soon heard.

He barely took notice of Gandalf as he rushed up to the man side. The astari rolled his eyes slightly as Aragorn didn't even slow down before grabbing the man's shoulders.

"Listen to me! I know you care for Legolas but there's nothing you can do if you get yourself injured or worn out! It will take time to scour the field and you are needed elsewhere. We shall discuss his apparent disappearance at a more convenient time," Gandalf snapped at him.

Aragorn appeared upset over Gandalf's words for he desperately wanted to find his friend but at the same time, he knew the expressions of concern were justified. As much he didn't like it, he would comply with the requests. Pippin soon passed the group, calling out for Merry. Elrohir glanced in Pippin's direction as he and the others headed back towards the citadel.

'_I hope he is not disappointed in his search,'_ he thought.

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Legolas slumped over in his chains, the pain reeling through his body. He wasn't sure how much longer he could handle this torture. The sweat poured down his face as he tried not to think about the pain.

Pain: that was an all too familiar sensation but nothing he ever suffered had quite prepared him for this. The orc snickered, carefully eyeing the elf and watching for any sudden reaction.

"Listen, you're going to have to talk sooner or later but by what we've been told, there's no progress like this," the orc finally said.

Legolas lifted his head slightly, gritting his teeth. He attempted appear defiant but wasn't sure how well it was working.

"You will never break me down. You would not learn anything useful from me," Legolas snorted.

Both orcs glanced at each other and gave a small smile before a voice began to fill the room. The elf frantically looked around, wondering who it was and where it was coming from for the orcs weren't moving their mouths.

'_Listen carefully, you know not what you are and you know nothing about the gargoyles. You shall become my _slave_!'_ the voice said, emphasizing the last word.

Legolas gasped as the area before his eyes darkened until a tower with an eye sitting on top appeared before him. It scrutinized every inch of his body, making Legolas nervous and every single muscle in his body to tense up.

'_You shall serve me,' _the eye told him.

Before could respond to anything, he felt a sharp pain in his stomach. His mind snapped back to reality to find Shagrat hovering over him, a grin sitting on his face. With wide eyes, Legolas glanced down to find a dagger protruding from his abdomen. Blood seeped freely from around the dagger as Legolas quickened his breathing. The only thing that crossed his mind was the idea that he was going to die.

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"Merry!" cried Pippin.

The young hobbit frantically searched everywhere for his friend but to avail. It was slowly becoming dark and Pippin knew that if he didn't find Merry soon, it could be too late. Pippin soon turned around and found Merry lying underneath one of the immense creatures.

"Merry!" Pippin yelled.

He pushed the massive being off his friend, who opened his eyes. Merry gave a weak smile.

"I knew you'd find me," Merry quietly said.

"At least you've been found. By what I overheard earlier, Legolas is missing," Pippin told him.

If Merry was surprised, he didn't show it. He slowly climbed to his feet and they began to make their way towards the citadel. To Pippin, it appeared as if Merry was thinking about something, as if trying to recall a lost memory.

"What is it Merry?" Pippin inquired.

"He's not here. Legolas isn't here. He was taken from this field a long time ago," Merry finally muttered.

Pippin appeared horrified; stopping dead in his tracks with Merry still slumped beside him. The younger hobbit glanced towards Minas Tirith, a feeling of dread overwhelming him.

'_No one's going to like that bit of news,'_ Pippin thought.

TBC…


	5. Debates

Legolas shut his eyes as tightly as he could, hoping to block out the pain as it was ever increasing. He could feel the blood flow down his tunic and onto his legs. The thought that Sauron had plans to control him scared him immensely.

'_Please let me see my father and sister again. I want to be there when her child is born, my niece or nephew,'_ he pleaded to himself.

Before he could think another thought, an intense heat began to increase around his wound. The pain became so great, he couldn't help but scream. The chains around his wrists drew taut and quickly threatened to take his arms off. His lungs ached for air but the agonizing pain wasn't allowing any room for anything else.

'_You will listen to me, gargoyle. Yes, I can see the magic that runs through you and what you've become,'_ the voice menacingly told him.

The intense pain soon diminished to a throbbing ache and Legolas hung limply in the chains. His breathing laboured, not even trying to lift his head or limbs.

'_You are a monster and none of your friends would ever want to deal with someone like you!'_ Sauron menacingly smirked.

Legolas gritted his teeth, raising his head enough to glance between the two orcs. He barely took notice of the hair that hung limply in front of his eyes, which expressed resistance to the words being put forth.

"My friends would not abandon me to the likes of you!" Legolas snarled.

The orc quickly yanked Legolas' head back by the hair and began to snicker. The orc's gaze went back to the dagger still protruding from the elf's stomach and he swiftly pulled it out. Legolas' eyes began to twitch slightly as the blood began to flow more freely.

"Your friends don't even know where you are. They can't save you now," Shagrat snarled.

"You lie," Legolas retorted thought gritted teeth.

'_We have no reason to lie to an ally. You are, after all, one of us,'_ Sauron told him.

Legolas could feel consciousness beginning to leave his mind. He tried to tell himself that this place and these creatures would not be the last things he would see. That was until Sauron appeared before him again.

'_You will listen to me. Forget all that you have known until now for everything is about to change,'_ the eye told him.

Next thing Legolas knew, the intense heat from around the wound reappeared, keeping him in the conscious world. Amidst the pain, the elf could sense something different within him, something darker than before.

It was then that he felt his wits wilt away from him as he slipped into unconsciousness.

00000

Merry felt the pain course through his body. He began to take notice of all the noises and smells surrounding him. When he heard his name, his eyes snapped open to two familiar faces standing on either side of him.

"Aragorn, Pippin, how is everyone?" the hobbit asked.

"Everyone that is accounted for is doing just fine, Merry," Pippin replied.

_Everyone that was accounted for…_yes, Merry vaguely remembered Pippin mentioning that Legolas was missing. He figured that's why Aragorn was there for his friend probably told him what he had said.

"Merry, what can you tell us anything about Legolas? Did you see him while out on the fields?" Aragorn reluctantly asked.

The hobbit nodded, unsure where to start. He searched his foggy memory for all his recollection of the elf on the fields.

"I did see Legolas, but only briefly. He was battling an orc, Gothmog I think he said his name was. They scuffled for a few moments before Legolas was knocked out cold. He was dragged several feet to a small clearing where there were no bodies, where one of those flying creatures landed," Merry told them.

Aragorn groaned, climbing to his feet. His ran his hands through his hair, fully knowing where this story was going. He turned back towards the hobbit, wanting him to confirm what he was now dreading.

"Legolas was put on the creature and it flew away. Where it was going, I don't know but Legolas was still alive when it left," Merry finished.

The anger was welling up inside the man and the two hobbits could see it. Pippin could swear Aragorn was doing a great impersonation of a dragon with all the smoke coming out of his nostrils.

"Thank you Merry. You have been a tremendous help. I hope you recover soon," Aragorn calmly said.

Aragorn stepped out of the room with a stormy calm surrounding him. Pippin watched him head down the hall and out of sight from the Houses of Healing. He turned back to Merry and gave a scared look.

"Remind me not to get in his way until Legolas is found," Pippin said.

Merry nodded in agreement. The idea that Legolas was missing and possibly dead was scaring him too.

00000

Aragorn stormed into the main hall, where he was greeted by a small group. Elladan cautiously stepped up to Aragorn, who made his way to Gandalf.

"Legolas has been captured by the enemy. Whether or not he is dead is another matter," Aragorn told them.

Gandalf gave a deep breath, realizing how dangerous things could be now that Legolas had become a prisoner of war.

"This is not good. They may try to turn him against us," Gandalf said.

"Is that even possible?" wondered Imrahil.

"I've seen it done before," Gandalf replied.

Elladan and Elrohir were both nervous for the same reason: they didn't want to have to tell Nanaylia that her beloved brother was dead. They remained quiet as Aragorn paced around the room.

"So how will we be able to tell if Legolas is still alive? If we do face Sauron, we might not be able to find him in the end," Aragorn put forth.

"Then that might be the case. The forces of Sauron are amassing and we might not have the chance to rescue our elven friend. If he is indeed forced to their side and we are defeated, he just might be on their side for a long time to come," Gandalf said.

Elladan gave a sharp intake of air, old memories resurfacing. Elrohir glanced in his direction, fully knowing what he was thinking: when Nanaylia had been under Manlin's control for all those centuries.

"I won't let that happen," Elladan coldly said.

Everyone stared in his direction, not completely understanding what he meant. Aragorn stepped in his direction, an idea in his mind.

"Elladan…" he started.

"I mean it Aragorn. Legolas was completely devastated when he believed Nanaylia had died. I can be certain that the same thing will happen to her when Legolas actually _is_ dead!" Elladan screamed out. "I won't let that happen!"

Everyone grew silent, unsure what to say or react. Elrohir lowered his head, the uncertainty growing within him. Elladan stepped past Aragorn and towards Gandalf.

"What do we need to know about the upcoming battle?" he questioned.

"You do realize that the days ahead are uncertain. Frodo and Sam might already be dead or we might lose this battle at the Black Gate. Need I remind you about the forces of Sauron?" Gandalf asked him.

Elladan nodded, completely understanding yet completely willing to rescue one of his closest friends. He dimly took notice of the talk that continued, debating several things on the upcoming days.

00000

Sam and Frodo were slowly making their across the barren landscape, carefully avoiding the many orcs and other creatures that resided in the land of Mordor. Sam glanced up at the dark sky and sighed.

"Look at it like this Mr. Frodo. At least it can't get any worse," Sam said with a tiny laugh.

Frodo tried to force a smile but found he couldn't. Smiling was something he lost a long time ago. He glanced up at the sky himself and narrowed his eyes at a figure in the distance.

"Sam, what do you make of that?" questioned Frodo.

Sam looked in the direction Frodo was looking and was slightly confused himself. The figure drew closer, allowing them a closer look. It passed over them and headed towards Mount Doom.

"It almost looked like a gargoyle but I didn't think there were any left other than that one that followed us to Moria," Sam mused.

"As far as I know, there's a few left but I didn't think there were any this far south. Last time I checked, most if not all of them were in the forests of Mirkwood," Frodo said.

They glanced at each other, as the scream combined with the few others that filled the air. They both cringed, trying to block out the noises as they trudged along. They hoped that the new arrival wouldn't see them either.

TBC…


	6. Disturbing Discoveries

The doors crashed open, catching the attentions of everyone present. The gargoyle smirked as he stepped into the company of the many orcs standing about. A few snarled while others were curious.

"What do you want, gargoyle?" growled one.

"What do you think? I'm here to help! Just because we have diminished in numbers doesn't mean we don't know who our allies are!" the gargoyle replied.

He soon found himself being circled by the many orcs. The gargoyle barely flinched as one stepped forward, ready to throw him right out..

"Get out of here. We don't need your help. This battle is ours," he snarled.

He quickly grabbed a weapon and lunged for the gargoyle. The gargoyle dodged the attack and a scuffle began. It ended up with the gargoyle pinning the attacker against the wall. A growl emitted from the gargoyle and the weapon soon clattered onto the ground.

"You may think you don't need help but Sauron himself asked for me. All I can say is deal with it," the gargoyle quietly told him.

The gargoyle flung the orc across the room. The others showing great surprise as they watched their comrade fly through the air and subsequently land face first into a pile of leftover bones. Their attention soon traveled back to the gargoyle, who held his head high and his arms crossed. A smile crossed his face as his eyes scanned the room to see looks of mild concern.

"My name is Lecerne. Don't any of you dare forget it," he told them.

00000

Aragorn's stomach was in knots.

The others decided to head for the Black Gate without Legolas, much to the man's protest. His plea fell on deaf ears as he tried to rally support to go search for the elf at least after the battle was over.

At least if any of them were still alive afterwards.

Gimli silently sat behind him on the horse as Elladan and Elrohir rode on either side of him. None wanted to say anything for they were all feeling the same emotions. It was several moments before Gimli decided to speak.

"We'll find him," the dwarf said.

"But at what expense Gimli? He may already be dead and if we do find him, it may already be too late," Aragorn quietly replied.

Elrohir sighed as he lanced forward to see the dark gate coming into view. He gave an involuntary gasp, getting the attentions of his brother and friends.

"The Black Gate," he whispered.

"We are here. Legolas could be lost in the end but he helped us get this far," Aragorn said.

The group slowly continued on their way towards the gate. Gandalf moved Shadowfax closer to Aragorn's horse and leaned in towards him. The man took notice of the istari and opened an ear to listen.

"Be warned. If it does turn out that Sauron has somehow turned Legolas to his side, he may not recognize us," Gandalf warned him.

"There're lots of things that could have happened to him, Gandalf. I'm only hoping that the worst hasn't occurred yet," Aragorn replied.

Gandalf turned his stare towards the ground, fully knowing all the different outcomes this war was leading into.

00000

"It's about time you got here gargoyle," a voice snarled at him.

Lecerne turned around to find a figure clothed in black standing in the doorway. He smirked as the figure moved closer and stopped right when they were face to face.

"And who exactly are you supposed to be; the welcoming committee?" Lecerne laughed.

"As a matter of fact, I am," he replied.

The smile was immediately erased from the gargoyle's mouth, giving a stare of disbelief as he stared at the figure from head to toe. A doubtful look crossed Lecerne's face, making a smile cross the figure's face.

"I speak for my master and we are expecting visitors very soon. I'm sure you want to be there when we destroy them all," the Mouth said.

A smile crossed the gargoyle's face yet again, indicating he liked what he heard. He followed the Mouth outside to hear what else he had to say.

00000

"Where are they?" wondered Pippin.

Barely hearing the young hobbit, Aragorn stared at the Gate, fully knowing what lay behind it. He only hoped they could give Frodo enough time to complete his quest. He started to ride towards the gate, with Eomer, Gandalf and the two brothers coming with him.

"Let the Lord come out. Justice needs to be served!" Aragorn cried.

With still no response, Elladan and Elrohir began to wonder if the enemy even knew they were standing outside their front door waiting for them. Their question was quickly answered when the gate began to open slightly and a solitary figure came outside on a horse

"My Lord, Sauron the Great bids thee welcome," the figure said.

He glanced around at the small group, barely giving any indication to what he was thinking.

"Who among you has enough authority to treat with me?" he asked.

"We haven't come to treat with Sauron. Tell your master to leave this place," Gandalf told him.

The Mouth turned in Gandalf's direction and began to mock him. He slowly moved his head so he could look at everyone. He suddenly stopped when he reached Elladan and Elrohir. The Mouth pointed a hand out towards them, making the two elves back up their horses a few steps.

"You even bring elves with you Gandalf. How unfortunate for you. They can join the other one we have," the Mouth said.

Aragorn eyes widened as his heart dropped into his stomach. His breathing quickened as Gimli became restless on the horse behind him. Elladan held to bite his tongue as a cascade of emotions came running forth.

"You lie!" Aragorn barely said through gritted teeth.

"You have the elf? Bring him out here!" the dwarf roared.

The Mouth turned towards the dwarf, carefully watching his every move along with everybody else's. He couldn't help but snicker at the reactions of the various people standing before him.

"So you care for the safety of the elf? I'm pleased to tell you that you are too late. We had our fun with him and now he will die. You can't save him," the Mouth snickered. "And I almost forgot. I was bidden to show you this."

He lifted up the mithril shirt and all recognized it as Frodo's. The twins both held in a gasp before glancing over to Aragorn. Both could see the fire burning within his eyes. They watched as he slowly began to make his way forward.

"Oh no," Elrohir whispered.

"What is this? This is Isildur's heir coming to face us? How quaint!" the Mouth mused.

Aragorn began to lift up his sword but soon found he was moving and he felt the ground underneath his body. He looked up only to get a face full of wings. He blanched when he saw the color. Everyone else's face were all in disbelief as the figure stood up with Aragorn in hand. The Mouth snickered as he lifted a hand towards the newcomer.

"This is Lecerne, one of the gargoyle troops we have," the Mouth introduced.

Aragorn wasn't believing his eyes and neither was Gimli, who had also fallen off the horse and standing nearby with axe in hand. The dwarf gripped his weapon, a growl creeping onto his lips.

"It would be interesting for any of you to try and defeat him. If I remember correctly, gargoyles are very hard to kill," the Mouth told them.

Aragorn carefully watched every move the gargoyle was making. His heart threatened to jump out of his chest before glancing over towards Elladan, remembering that neither he nor his brother knew what happened to Legolas at Helm's Deep.

'_It's true that gargoyles can be diffucult to kill but this one was originally an elf and they can be killed,'_ he though to himself.

TBC…


	7. Chances at the Black Gate

Lecerne growled as he moved his stare between everyone present. Gandalf soon found he thought he heard laughing through the noises.

"You are all fools! Do you honestly think you can stop us?" the gargoyle laughed.

"Not all of you together, but I can certainly try to at least bring _you_ down," Aragorn replied through gritted teeth.

The gargoyle began to flap his wings and flew above the crowd of Rohirrim and Gondorians. The gates opened wider to reveal the mass to orcs heading straight for them. Aragorn's eyes widened slightly as he scrambled to get back on his horse. Gimli grabbed his outstretched arm and was pulled onto the horse. The group headed back to the men waiting for them.

Elladan and Elrohir both kept an eye on the gargoyle hovering above them. Something was nagging at both of them about the newcomer now flying over their heads. Elladan kept his eyes on the one called Lecerne as they began to lead their horses back to the crowd.

"Elrohir, what's different about that gargoyle to you?" questioned Elladan.

"You mean besides his colour? Nothing at all! His attitude is everything one would expect from a gargoyle," Elrohir replied.

"Precisely what I'm saying, Elrohir. He doesn't _look_ like any normal gargoyle that I've seen and heard about," Elladan said.

The two brothers hurried back to the men as they stood, listening to Aragorn. The man was rallying them to fight and it was slowly becoming obvious that it was working. As the massive army of Sauron surrounded them, Lecerne continued to hover above them.

The twins glanced around the area, taking notice where Gandalf, Aragorn and Gimli were situated. They knew that any one of them could die by the hands of the orcs or by the gargoyle now watching their every move.

"I can only hope that 'man' was lying when he said that Frodo was dead," Elladan muttered.

Elrohir nodded as he sneaked a glance at Aragorn, who had his sword raised and was now lowering it. The man stepped forward, as if entranced by some unknown force. He glanced back at Gandalf, who held up the mithril shirt.

"For Frodo," he said before running for the orcs.

Merry and Pippin quickly followed him towards the orcs, followed by the rest. The Elven twins looked at each other before following suit.

As Aragorn battled the orcs, all thoughts of the gargoyle quickly left his mind. So when Lecerne landed before him with a growl on his lips, Aragorn was mildly surprised.

"You've come to defeat Sauron. I will not allow it. We have too far for you to stop us now," Lecerne told him.

"You will allow it whether you like it or not. We have sworn to stop Sauron from enslaving everybody. I guess you came into this willingly," Aragorn gritted.

The gargoyle lunged for Aragorn, who managed to dodge out of the way. He immediately found that the gargoyle kept jumping at and he barely managed to keep himself out of the way until he found himself on his back with Lecerne standing only a few feet from him. The gargoyle picked him Aragorn by the collar and the man found he was a few inches from the gargoyle's face.

"It's useless! You will not win! You are so greatly outnumbered it's a wonder you managed to make it this far!" the gargoyle cried at him.

"Numbers do not mean a thing when you have hope," Aragorn told him.

"Ah, hope. It's such a fruitless venture for it can be so easily severed," Lecerne replied.

A screech caught both of their attentions and both glanced upwards to see the Nazgul heading for them from the skies. Lecerne gave an evil smile as he caught the eyes of Aragorn once again. He dropped Aragorn before jumping a few feet away. He bent down and suddenly jumped up to take flight.

"Be warned, this isn't over. I'll be back for I have some killing to do first. I want you to be the last one to look into my eyes," he said.

As Lecerne joined the Nazgul, he soon heard a familiar voice ring out above the clashing and banging all around him.

"The Eagles! The Eagles are coming!" he heard Pippin cry out.

Aragorn looked up to see the sky filling up with the giant birds, which were now attacking the Nazgul flying above them. He could see the gargoyle dodging through the masses now littering the sky. He had to wonder what was going through his friend's mind. The man only hoped that the elf would recognize him when it was all over.

"Well, I can't worry about him now. It will have to wait until this war is over," he quietly said.

He continued to battle the orcs surrounding him, barely taking notice of where any of his friends where now located.

00000

Elladan and Elrohir were fighting close together, taking out any orc that came their way but they were soon finding that they were slowly being overrun. Elrohir skewered an orc through the stomach before turning towards his brother.

"Elladan!" he cried.

"What?" Elladan retorted.

Before Elrohir could say anything, they heard screeches coming from above them. They looked up to see the Nazgul retreating from the flight, heading back into Mordor.

"Where are they going?" Elladan wondered.

"I am unsure. At least we do not have to worry about them for the moment," Elrohir said.

Elladan gave a tiny smile as he took down an a few more orcs. He glanced in the direction of Aragorn and the smile disappeared once he saw a troll lumbering over the fallen man. He began to make his way through the orcs as fast he could. Elrohir had to do a double take, not believing what his brother was attempting.

"Elladan!" he yelled out.

Elladan barely heard his brother as he made his way towards Aragorn. The man didn't even see the elf coming as he backed away from the troll.

"This is bad," Aragorn muttered.

As the troll brought down its sword, Elladan quickly grabbed his bow and fired several arrows at the giant creature. The troll retaliated from the sudden attack and Elladan quickly helped Aragorn to his feet.

"Elladan…" Aragorn started.

"I am trying to help you, what does it look like?" Elladan interrupted, fully knowing what was coming.

A loud crash unexpectedly roared through the air. The remaining people stared in the direction of the Black Gate to see everything collapsing. Aragorn and Elladan glanced at each other, their hearts elated that Frodo was still alive to see the end of the One Ring. All the orcs and trolls began to scatter and flee from the scene, leaving the remaining Gondorians and Rohirrim in a state of glee.

"We have won!" the men around Aragorn and Elladan cried out.

Aragorn searched the skies for any sign of Lecerne but could not find him. The man's mind was going into a state of frenzy at the idea that his friend might not be found. He stepped forward a few steps, never noticing someone hovering high above his sight. The gargoyle bared his teeth in anger.

"We may have lost but you will be mine!" Lecerne growled.

He drew his wings in closer to his body and began his descent to the ground. Lecerne reached out his hands, getting ready for the attack.

"Aragorn!" someone cried out.

Aragorn jerked his head from side to side before finally lifting his head skyward to find the gargoyle heading his direction. All of a sudden, Lecerne grasped his arm and cried out. He landed on the ground in a heap next to Aragorn and Elladan with an arrow sticking out of his arm. Elladan looked around the area only to find his brother standing several feet away, a bow sitting in his hands.

"Oh my," Aragorn gasped.

The gargoyle's growls were audible as he slowly climbed to his feet, showing the severity of the wound. The arrow had gone through his arm at an angle and into the side of his chest and the arrowhead was barely peeking out of his back. Both the man and the elf could see the growing amount of blood beginning to drip down the gargoyle's side.

Gandalf and Gimli hurried up to the scene, a worried look on both their faces. Lecerne took notice of the wizard and dwarf from over his shoulder and began to snicker.

"You may have won this war but you will not take me alive," the gargoyle snarled.

He flapped his wings and took to the air before anyone could catch him. Aragorn tried to reach him before he became too much out of reach but soon failed. Gandalf stepped to Aragorn's and gave him a small smile.

"We'll find him," Gandalf tried to reassure.

"But at what cost Gandalf? He turned out to be alive but he still might die before we find him," Aragorn questioned.

Gandalf didn't say anything, knowing that this was one scenario he wasn't too certain how to react.

TBC…


	8. Just the Beginning

Aragorn and Gimli both hurried up to Gandalf's side. Both had worried looks on their faces and it seemed like both were about to lose control of their anger.

"How did Sauron do something like that? He somehow managed to convert Legolas both back into a gargoyle and into one of his allies!" Aragorn quietly yelled at him.

"This is Sauron we're talking about Aragorn. He is, after all, the one who created the One Ring. He is capable of just about anything," Gandalf replied.

Gimli listened to what Aragorn and Gandalf had to say but found he was losing his patience. He grabbed his axe in both hands and gave a huff.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go find the Elf!" he roared.

"The only problem is that several moments have already passed us. He could be heading anywhere by now," Gandalf told them.

They gazed in the direction they last saw the gargoyle leave as both Elladan and Elrohir walked up to them amidst the chaos. They were smiling at each other over the recent victory over Sauron and his minions.

"Did you see the gargoyle's face after he landed? I hope wherever he is, he rots along with all his friends," Elrohir smirked.

They immediately stopped when they saw the grim looks of the man, dwarf and wizard. Their smiles quickly dropped from their faces, wondering what happened that was so drastic for the trio's unhappy mood. They had won the war after all. Elladan stepped closer to Aragorn and Gandalf, hoping for an explanation.

"Aragorn, Gandalf…" he started.

"We have to go after Lecerne," Gandalf interrupted, fully knowing the question.

"Whatever for, Gandalf? He's a gargoyle. They've never been any good. Legolas has had nothing but trouble with them. It was because of gargoyles that he believed he lost his sister," Elrohir blurted out in disbelief.

Aragorn nodded his head before lowering it slightly. He knew this moment would come and so did Gimli. They simply weren't certain how to tell them what happened.

"What is it?" Elrohir cautiously said.

"It's Legolas," Aragorn suddenly blurted out.

The two brothers glanced at the each other in total confusion to how their friend suddenly came up out of nowhere. Elladan narrowed his eyes, curious to know what other connections Legolas had with the gargoyles.

"We do not understand what you are trying to say. We were talking about Lecerne, not Legolas," Elrohir finally said.

Aragorn, Gandalf and Gimli glanced at each other, their unspoken words trying to decide who should be the one to finally tell them.

"The gargoyle…_is_…Legolas," Gimli finally said.

00000

Lecerne flew around the mountainside, the anger evident in his eyes. The wound in his side ached with every flap that he took and he barely noticed that he was considerably slower than earlier.

"They will pay for this. As soon as this wound heals, I will hunt them down," Lecerne snarled.

The sweat poured down his face as his flying progressively got lower. He flew for a few more minutes before his wings finally gave out and he collapsed onto the ground

"They cannot defeat me," he muttered.

His body grew limp, his whole body relaxing. He slipped into a state of unconsciousness and then began the wait to be found.

00000

The three horses raced across the land, hoping to come across a familiar sight. Aragorn led his horse along the mountainside with Gimli sitting behind him keeping an eye out for their lost friend. Elladan and Elrohir rode beside them. The two brothers were still in total disbelief of the news they only recently heard about their lifelong friend.

"I guess the gargoyles are more dangerous than what I first thought," Elrohir finally said.

"My sentiments exactly," Elladan agreed.

Neither attempted to hide the disgust in their voices and neither Aragorn nor Gimli said anything. They were intent on finding Legolas as much as the brothers.

"I shouldn't have let him come with us to Pelennor Fields," lamented Aragorn.

"'Tis not your fault laddie. He would have come no matter how much persuasion to stay behind," Gimli assured him.

"The trouble now is finding him. He could be anywhere among these rocks or not even anywhere near here," Aragorn sighed.

He and the twins slowed down their horses, wondering what they should do now. So far, they had been searching for hours with no luck in finding the gargoyle. Elladan slightly lowered his head, barely taking in the surroundings: he knew he would have to be the one tell Nanaylia what happened.

"As much as I love her, I am certainly going to hate facing her when I see her," he quietly said to himself.

He started to think about what he would have to tell Legolas' sister, barely taking any notice of his brother, Aragorn or Gimli. The three were searching the area for any indication on where to go next. The horses were slowly moved forward, hoping to find a sign.

As they turned around a slight corner in the rocks, they were met with a horrific sight: the small group had found the body of the gargoyle. He was lying unconscious on the ground, a pool of blood surrounding him. He lay on his stomach, his blood soaked hair strewn everywhere. Everyone gasped as they hurried towards him. Aragorn jumped off the horse and knelt beside Lecerne.

As the others got off the horses, the man gently began to turn the gargoyle onto his side to see the extent of his wounds. Elrohir flinched at the sight of the wounds he himself had inflicted. Aragorn's eyes widened at the sight of a wound appearing on Lecerne's stomach. He pulled out several bandages from the pouch that hung around his waist.

"We have to get him out of here!" Aragorn told them.

"Have you seen these wounds? He will most likely die before we can get him help!" protested Elrohir.

Elladan crossed the distance between him and his brother in no time flat. He grasped Elrohir's arm and gave his brother a hard stare, to which Elrohir gave an involuntary gasp. The thought crossed his mind that if looks could kill, he would have been dead.

"Are _you_ prepared to tell Nanaylia? Especially at this time? I know I'm not and I'm the one closest to her after Thranduil and Legolas," Elladan demanded.

Elrohir quickly shook his head, his eyes wide as they could go. He couldn't move his stare from his angry brother, who gave a small snicker.

"Then don't presume to tell me what I can't do," Elladan said.

Elrohir exhaled, not realizing that he had been holding his breath. Gimli stepped up to his side, a neutral look on his face. The elf stood dumbfounded, barely taking notice of the dwarf.

"Then I say we let them do what they have to do," Gimli mused.

00000

The three horses galloped across the rocky terrain as quickly as they could. It wasn't as fast as they liked considering the condition of their companion. Elladan glanced over his shoulder to look at what was supposed to be his friend. He sighed as his eyes gazed over the bandages.

"I may actually have to agree with Elrohir. How are we supposed to get Legolas back to Minas Tirith in time?" Elladan wondered.

"Well, I only hope that he shows up soon. Legolas is failing fast," Elrohir sighed.

The group traveled for several more minutes before they heard the flapping of wings above them. They glanced upwards to see the eagles and all smiled. The giant birds hovered just above the ground. Gandalf peeked out from Gwahir's back.

"You found them Gandalf," Aragorn smiled.

"We also found you. Let us take the gargoyle and we'll be on our way to Minas Tirith," Gandalf told him.

The four nodded before quickly taking Lecerne off the horse's back. One of the eagles gently grasped the gargoyle in its talon. Gandalf turned his attention to Aragorn.

"Hurry as fast as you can. We'll meet you there," Gandalf told them.

He nodded as the eagles left. The quartet glanced at each other long enough to say 'we'd better get going'. They climbed onto their horses and began their long trek back to Gondor.

"There's one good thing," mused Elrohir.

Elladan gave a small laugh as he glanced over towards his brother.

"What could that be?" he wondered.

"At least we were heading in the right direction," came the reply.

00000

The four made their way through Minas Tirith. All were surprised by how quickly they managed to make it back to the city. Aragorn jumped off his horse and immediately headed for the Houses of Healing. The dwarf and two elves kept at his heels as they made their way through the streets.

"Aragorn…?" questioned Elrohir.

"Elrohir, I'm just as upset as you, Elladan and Gimli so don't you dare ask me if I'm fine," Aragorn replied.

Elladan narrowed his eyes before stepping in front of the man, causing him to stop. Aragorn appeared upset with the elf and tried to walk past his friend but Elladan placed a hand on the man's chest, stopping him again.

"Aragorn, do not dare think that you are the only one who is worried about Legolas. Imagine what Nanaylia and Thranduil are going to think when they hear about this. Elrohir and I have been friends with him a lot longer than you. I know this is at least tearing me apart," Elladan told him.

The elf turned around and they continued on their way. Gimli made his way to Aragorn's side and leaned in towards him.

"I'd say we listen to him. He seems to know what he's talking about," Gimli mused.

The quartet suddenly heard a noise from around the building and they glanced to see Gandalf heading out of the door. He didn't take notice of them immediately and when he did, he gave a sigh of relief. The istari stepped over to them and drew them into the corner. Gandalf didn't say anything at first, glancing back in the direction of the House of Healing.

"It's worse than what I first thought," Gandalf told them.

"How much worse could it be than what happened at Helm's Deep? He attacked all of us," wondered Gimli.

Gandalf rolled his eyes slightly, not wanting to answer at all. The dwarf's question was at least partially answered when they heard a scream coming from the building Gandalf recently stepped out of. Elrohir and Elladan stepped forward as several men scrambled to get out of the door. Aragorn gave Gandalf a stern look, searching for an explanation.

"When we got here, the healers were reluctant to treat him. They slowly accepted the explanation that he could tell us of any enemy strongholds. They treated him as best they could, but he awoke several hours ago. None of us have been able to get close since," Gandalf explained.

Everyone's heart dropped into their stomachs as the screeching filled their ears again. Gandalf faced the four again, fully knowing what was on their minds.

"This is Sauron we're talking about. Whatever he did to Legolas, I'm unsure how to reverse it. My only suggestion is to get his father and sister as soon as possible," Gandalf told them.

TBC…


	9. Start of the Waiting Game

The italicized words in this chap are spoken in Elvish. :)

00000

Elladan and Elrohir stared at the door. They wanted to head inside but both were very nervous of what had been forewarned. Elrohir glanced over at his brother and sighed.

"Well, he is not going to get any better if we stay out here," Elrohir said.

"That is true," Elladan agreed.

He reached out his hand and opened up the door. The two stepped into the room to be greeted by growls and a swipe of a clawed hand. The gargoyle retreated into the corner as the elves drew closer. Lecerne kept his teeth bared as he sat behind the bed.

"What do you want?" he demanded.

The brothers could sense the pain in the gargoyle's voice, despite his attempts to hide it. Elrohir couldn't help but shake his head at the scene before him.

"What has he done to you?" he wondered out loud.

Lecerne's stare snapped to attention towards Elrohir and slowly began to advance towards him. The elf took a quick intake of air as he involuntary stepped backward.

"Sauron has done nothing to me. One of his minions came to me and asked me to fight alongside him in the name of the Great Lord! I agreed! I was all too happy to represent my people in this battle!" Lecerne snarled at them.

Elladan managed to take a few steps towards his old friend before getting a nasty glare but he didn't care. Lecerne lifted his claws towards the advancing elf.

"Get away from me!" the gargoyle uttered.

'_Nanaylia is not going to like this at all,'_ Elladan thought. "We were here to try and help you. It looks like we are not wanted. We should leave Elrohir."

"I'm not a fool! I know why I'm here! Of course you want to help! You want to help yourself to my knowledge of your former enemy," the gargoyle called to them.

He grasped his brother's arm and they headed out of the room, much to Elrohir's protest. As soon as they were out of earshot, Elrohir twirled to face his brother.

"What was that for? Who knows what he will do now? Lecerne might even try and escape," Elrohir demanded.

Elladan shook his head, glancing back at the room with sadness in his eyes. His stare went to the floor for a brief moment before his met his brother's eyes.

"He is not going anywhere. He looks far too injured to leave unnoticed. All we can do now is wait for Nanaylia and Thranduil to arrive. I do not know about you but I know I would be terrified if we were in this situation," Elladan sighed.

Elrohir nodded in agreement, hoping that they would soon find a way to reverse what Sauron had done. That is, if it wasn't too late already.

00000

Haldir silently stepped through the trees. Inwardly, he was hoping there wouldn't be another attack on fair Lorien. Even though the last assault was several days ago, something at the back of his mind was telling him that _someone_ was coming. He stopped at a small clearing, barely moving as Orophin and Rumil moved to his side.

"_Our time is indeed coming to an end,"_ Orophin mused.

Haldir said nothing, his thoughts elsewhere than Orophin's musings. Rumil saw the worried look on his brother's face and narrowed his eyes slightly.

"_Dear brother, you seemed worried. Particularly for our Mirkwood kindred who is staying with us. Why is that?"_ Rumil wondered.

Haldir slightly lowered his head, barely giving a sigh. He crossed his arms, unsure how to respond to the inquiry. He soon glanced at his brother from the corner of his eye.

"_It was not your life that she saved," _Haldir finally said. _"Besides, she is carrying the great-grandchild of our lord and lady. Would you want to explain to them why we did not protect the mother and child, resulting in both their deaths?" _

Rumil's stare went to the ground and shook his head. Out of nowhere, the trio heard a rustle of leaves coming from afar. They drew their bows and aimed them in the direction the noise originated from. Haldir narrowed his eyes as several figures approached them.

"_It looks like men. Why would they here? They have no reason to come this far into Lorien," _Haldir said.

"_Look at their banner. It looks like they may be from Gondor," _Rumil mused.

Haldir heart dropped as he slightly lowered his bow. Many thoughts began to swirl through his mind, about the possibilities. He stepped back, shaking his head and dropping the bow completely. His two brothers were completely confused as they glanced at him. Haldir completely ignored them and he hurried towards the men.

"_Haldir, wait!" _called Orophin.

Both he and Rumil tried to reach for him but the elf managed to elude their grasp. Haldir stepped into view of the few men walking through the trees.

"Are you Haldir?" asked one of the men.

The elf nodded, wide-eyed and worried. His mouth grew immensely dry and was unable to form words to express what was on his mind. Rumil and Orophin hurried up to his side and glanced between the men and their brother. The men could sense their curiousity and began to offer without being asked.

"We are here for Nanaylia, daughter of Thranduil, if she should still be here. We were ordered to escort her to Gondor for important matters only known to the king. The only thing we were told is that it concerns her brother, Legolas," one man said.

Rumil and Orophin glanced at each other, unsure what to think for they only caught the few names here and there. Haldir paled as his brothers looked to him for a translation. He managed to tell them what words were exchanged. The brothers nodded before turning around and hurrying away.

"She is here but we have to go find her. I'm afraid I cannot let you further into the wood and my brothers will be back soon," Haldir told them.

The men nodded as Haldir carefully turned his attention to the direction his brothers left in. He only hoped Legolas hadn't gotten himself into a situation where he ended up dead.

00000

The man barely managed to duck out of the way. The flying bed hit the wall behind him and shattered into million pieces. Splinters managed to miss his head as he hid behind a pillar. Aragorn joined the others hurrying towards the Houses of Healing. Inside, the gargoyle was using all the strength he had to make a mess of everything. Aragorn was inwardly glad that all the other injured had been moved

"Lecerne, you don't have to keep doing this! Calm down for you need to rest!" Aragorn cried out.

The gargoyle snarled as he carefully watched the man step toward him. He limped as he began to move around the area. Lecerne snickered as he eyed Aragorn.

"I remember you. I met you at that stronghold of the Rohirrim. Helm's Deep, I do believe it was called," Lecerne mused.

Aragorn held his breath, hoping that these memories were untainted. He soon found his answer when Lecerne began to reach for him with drawn claws.

"You nearly killed my comrade, Shentree! I don't know what you did with her but you better hope she's still alive! Otherwise, I will have your head!" Lecerne snarled through gritted teeth.

Aragorn gave a sigh, fully knowing that they were not going to get anywhere until Nanaylia and Thranduil arrived. He slowly shook his head, trying to think of a way to calm the gargoyle down. The last thing Aragorn wanted to see was someone get hurt during the waiting period.

'_I can only hope they get here soon,'_ Aragorn thought.

"What's wrong? Are you afraid of a few talons? You should be when I get a hold of you!" Lecerne yelled at him.

Gimli stepped up to Aragorn as the words were spoken, axe in hand. The gargoyle took notice of the weapon and began growling.

"If that's supposed to scare me, it's not going to work," the gargoyle smirked.

Carefully lifted his axe gently moved it from side to side, the gargoyle watching his every move. He gave a small laugh as he lowered it once again.

"I don't know what you're thinking laddie, but I'm not trying to scare you. The ones who are going to do that are on their way," the dwarf told him.

The gargoyle retreated back into the corner, cradling his stomach. He appeared to still be in pain and both Aragorn and Gimli noticed this action. Worry was at the back of their minds for what was going to happen once their expected company finally arrived.

TBC…


	10. Arrivals in Minas Tirith

"Where is he?" a male voice roared.

The people milling about the hall stopped in their tracks at the sudden outburst right outside the doors. The doors flew open to reveal a very irate 'man'. He stepped inside as Aragorn hurried out from a nearby room, having heard the loud voice. He carefully approached the angry father, knowing that anything could happen.

"Thranduil, you're here," he breathlessly said.

"Aragorn, answer my question now. Where is my son?" Thranduil demanded.

The man slightly lowered his head, fully knowing that this moment had to come sooner or later. Aragorn lifted a hand towards the door. Thranduil didn't say anything as he made his way back out of the building.

Along the way, Aragorn could see the anger rising up from the Elven King. He was trying to be careful with his next words.

"Thranduil, I didn't want to say anything in front of the others but hardly anyone knows what Legolas has been through," Aragorn finally told him.

Thranduil couldn't help but laugh as he turned his attention towards the man walking beside him. The elf suddenly stopped with Aragorn doing the same a few feet away.

"You cannot be serious. I was told that my son and trouble have crossed paths yet again. I come here to find out that almost no one knows anything about it? As far as I understand, he was recently in a major battle and it appears he is the only elf around here besides me. I think someone around here would take notice of something like that," Thranduil smirked.

Aragorn gave a small sigh before motioning with his hand. He began to lead the furious father past the people milling around them. As they moved closer to a building, Thranduil noticed that no one dared get any closer save one dwarf. The elf growled slightly, wondering why a dwarf had anything to do with his son.

Suddenly, a loud screech emitted from inside the building. Thranduil's eyes widened as the door flew open to reveal his one and only daughter. She covered her face with her arms as if protecting herself and he could see the tears flowing down her face.

"Nanaylia!" he cried out.

She glanced around to find the one calling her name to see her father standing nearby. Nanaylia continued her sobbing as she hurried towards him. Thranduil stepped forward and embraced her. After a few moments, he gently grasped her shoulders and drew her to arm's length.

"Where is Legolas?" he sternly questioned.

"He is in that room. Ada, it is terrible. I never thought it would be possible but it happened," she managed to tell him through the tears.

Thranduil's heart dropped once he heard those words. He looked past her at the door she just walked out of. The dwarf stood a few feet away, being cautious of who was around. Thranduil saw the dwarf and his anger flared. Aragorn took notice and stepped in before anything could happen.

"Thranduil, this is Gimli, son of Gloin," Aragorn introduced.

"And why are you telling me this? He's a dwarf!" Thranduil snorted.

"He's a friend of your son," Aragorn carefully told him.

Thranduil remained silent with the news as he began to make his way towards the door. Aragorn, Nanaylia and Gimli all followed him inside the room. Once Thranduil saw the sight, he sharply inhaled and had to take a few steps backs. His mind filled with questions as he fell to his knees and found that it was now difficult to swallow.

"How…?" he managed to get out.

The gargoyle heard Thranduil and took notice of the elf near the door. He glanced at everyone present and snickered once he saw all the new arrivals.

"Ah, it's the man and dwarf. It's about time you showed up again! I was getting bored," the gargoyle said.

"Just as before, I'm going to ignore that remark," Gimli told him.

Aragorn stepped forward and placed a hand on Thranduil's shoulder while continuing to watch Lecerne and his every move.

"You're impossible," Aragorn muttered.

Lecerne quietly laughed as his stare went to Thranduil. The smile on his face widened as he stood up and stepped towards them.

"Welcome, my dear Elven friend to the horror house of death," Lecerne welcomed, arms stretched out.

His eyes went towards Nanaylia and he rushed towards her. Aragorn and Gimli tried to stop him but the gargoyle moved too fast. Nanaylia was backed against the wall with Lecerne only inches from her face. He swiftly grabbed her arms and pinned them to the wall.

"My one and only love. You decided to come back to me. I'm surprised it was so quickly," Lecerne mused.

He leaned in to kiss her and Nanaylia was recoiling from the actions. She tried to move her face from him until his lips hit her neck. As this was taking place, Aragorn and Gimli rushed for the gargoyle and they tackled him to the ground. Lecerne began to thrash about, the deep growls emitting from within his gut.

"How dare you keep me from my mate and child! They belong to me!" Lecerne roared.

"No, they don't you fool! She is your sister and she is carrying your niece or nephew!" Aragorn retorted.

Thranduil shook his head slightly, breaking himself out of his reverie and taking notice of Nanaylia, hurried over to her side.

"What have they done to him?" Thranduil wondered.

"I wish I knew exactly. From what I have been told and seen so far, I do not know how to reverse it," Nanaylia replied.

"Thranduil, you'd better get her out of her! I don't know how much longer we can hold him like this!" Aragorn quickly yelled at him.

Thranduil nodded before leading his daughter out of the room. Once outside, he turned to face Nanaylia, who couldn't look her father in the face.

"What has happened?" he asked.

"Shentree followed Legolas out of Rivendell. I also followed them but it was useless. She managed to transform Legolas into a gargoyle. With help from Gandalf, it had been reversed. Somehow, Sauron tapped into the magic remaining in his body and this is the result. That was a few weeks ago, just before the Dark Lord was defeated," explained Nanaylia, the sadness lacing her voice.

Thranduil returned his attention back to the building when a loud screech emanated from within. If Legolas hadn't returned to back to being an elf after a few weeks, what would help now?

00000

"You've managed to keep me here this long in that pitiful room! It won't last!" Lecerne growled.

Neither Aragorn nor Gimli said anything as they followed the guards down to the dungeon. The man hoped he wouldn't have to resort to this but with the attack on his very own sister; he had no choice in order to protect both Thranduil and Nanaylia.

"You had plenty of time to escape," Gimli snorted.

Lecerne began to lunge for the dwarf but was stopped at the last moment by the guards. With the gargoyle only inches from his nose, Gimli remained calm as a smile crossed Lecerne's face.

"At first, I couldn't move because of my injuries but once I heard Narcissis was coming, I knew I had to stay," the gargoyle replied.

The guards dragged Lecerne down into the dungeon area, leaving an aggravated Aragorn and a mildly confused Gimli right outside the door.

"Narcissis?" questioned Gimli.

Not wanting to answer, Aragorn averted his eyes. He didn't say anything as he turned back around and headed away from the room. Gimli glanced between Aragorn and the room that now housed what used to be his friend. Knowing he wasn't going to get an immediate answer, he began to head into Aragorn's direction and back to help with the explanation that was inevitable.

TBC…


	11. An Impossible Idea

Thranduil sat silently in the hall with his hands tangled into his hair. To any observer, it appeared that he was in total shock. In reality, the anger was coursing through his mind. Nanaylia silently sat beside him, a hand up to her mouth. The tears had long stopped pouring down her face but the streaks still remained. Aragorn and Gimli stood in the doorway, watching the two elves in their grievance.

"Where are they?" a familiar voice rang out.

The man and dwarf turned around to find Elladan and Elrohir hurrying in their direction. Elrohir stopped beside Aragorn while his brother made his way into the room.

"Nanaylia, Thranduil," he breathlessly called out.

She lifted enough to see who it was and began to cry again once she saw who it was. She stretched out her arms and she melted into his embrace.

"I am sorry it has to be like this. If only there was something we could do…" Elladan started.

"None of us can do anything Elladan. I have searched my book time and again to see if there was anything in its pages. Out of what I can understand, there is nothing of any importance. Nothing that can help him," Nanaylia cried.

Elladan thought Nanaylia would cry again but her eyes were obviously all worn out from the crying she had already suffered through. Elladan glanced over to his brother to find that it looked like Elrohir's heart had dropped to the floor.

"What about Mithrandir? Have you spoken with him yet?" Elladan wondered.

Nanaylia nodded, unable to form the words to answer him. Thranduil turned his head slightly towards the two younger elves, deep circles evident underneath his eyes.

"We have spoken to him, yes. He has already stated that there is nothing he can do," he sighed.

Aragorn reluctantly stepped inside with Gimli, who was amazingly quiet as the man moved towards the elves.

"We have to find something. None of us want him to remain like this. Just because we don't know of a way to reverse it, doesn't mean there isn't one," he tried to assure them.

"What if there is nothing Aragorn?" Thranduil wondered.

Everyone looked in the Elven king's direction, who untangled his fingers from his hair, whose arms remained where they were yet the hands now dangled from the wrist.

"We could wait and search for a solution to Legolas' problem but it could take us years to find it. We do not have that luxury of time, even for us," Thranduil told him.

Gimli gave a small snort as his stare traveled to the floor. His patience had been worn thin a long time ago. A growl began to emit from his throat, his eyes flaring with anger as they looked over the man and elves.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get moving!" he huffed at them.

He raised his axe as Aragorn quickly placed a hand on the weapon. He gave the dwarf a stern look but received an 'are you serious' glare in return.

"Gimli, you are correct. As you know, we just don't know where to start," Aragorn told him.

"If only the Shilorian elves were here to help," Elrohir piped up.

Aragorn and Gimli narrowed their eyes in confusion as they glanced in his direction. Elladan couldn't help but give a laugh as he rolled his eyes. Thranduil gave a small smile at the statement.

"Elrohir, I admire your willingness to help in the situation but remember the tales of Shiloria are just that: tales," Thranduil told him.

Aragorn began to open his mouth to question about the conversation but Thranduil managed to beat him to it.

"Shiloria elves are supposed to be magical beings that possess a vast knowledge of Middle-Earth and its peoples. They are also supposed to have a massive library filled with books and their healing techniques include anything any of the best healers around here could do and more," Thranduil explained.

Everyone thought about what the elf had said. All inwardly wished they could help Legolas with this new information. None of them noticed a raven sitting upon a nearby window, carefully watching the scene. It chirped, catching Gimli's attention. The dwarf looked upwards to see the bird and gave a small smirk.

"If only the bird could send a message to these elves," Gimli mused.

He soon heard a few laughs coming from his company. Nanaylia lifted her head enough to give him a smile. Gimli thought it was strange considering the first time he saw her, she almost jumped down his throat.

Gimli, if the Shilorian elves did exist and the raven could send a message, who knows if they would even help us?" she told him.

The raven watched for a few more seconds, cocking his head to one side before flying to outside. Its wings flapped vigorously with intent on one destination.

00000

Nanaylia slowly moved towards the dungeons, with Gimli, Aragorn and Elladan walking close by. She warily moved past the cells and to the one that housed Lecerne. He gave her a knowing smile as she stepped closer.

"So you finally returned to me? I am pleased," he mused.

"Do not be so arrogant. Things have changed and I am not so sure you will find me the same as you once knew," she told him.

The gargoyle carefully scrutinized her from head to toe. A grin continued to make its way across his face as he stepped back and forth between the bars. Elladan stepped forward; worried that Lecerne might try something.

"I know you've changed, my dear but you must understand. I am not willing to give you up that easily. I thought you knew me better than that," the gargoyle replied.

He reached his arms through the bars and gently caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. Nanaylia jerked her head away yet Lecerne wasn't surprised with the reaction. He gave a sigh and he returned his arm back to his side.

"You will come back to me," he barely said.

"Be careful what you desire for you will be getting the help you deserve," Nanaylia told him.

Nanaylia was carefully holding back the anger and the tears as she carefully watched his every move. Neither she nor her company noticed two new figures sitting silently in the shadows. The two ravens only watched the group, taking in the scene as it unfolded. The two glanced at each other, as if giving each other a knowing look. They continued to watch until the group left and then they made their way up to the cell bars. Lecerne took almost immediate notice of them and a scowl crossed his face.

"I know what you are. You are never going to change my mind about my allegiances. Now get out of here before I decide to kill you where you stand," he growled at them.

The two ravens glanced at each other once again before making their back to the door outside. They flew away as if they had a mission on their minds. No one noticed them as they headed into the sky and towards the outskirts of the city. They soon arrived at a small forest and landed on the ground before the trees.

Countless birds filled the branches, as if they were waiting for the two to return. The ravens raised its wings and cawed like it was giving orders and the birds flew off the trees in scattered directions. The two ravens that remained took a few more seconds to give each other another glance before joining the others in flight.

TBC...


	12. The Moment of Truth

Thranduil passed through the streets. With his head slightly down, all the dreadful feelings swirling through his mind. He barely noticed the men, women and children as he passed by them.

"Legolas, I only hope that…" he started.

The thought drifted into nothing as he continued in his depressed stupor. That was until he heard a chirp above him. The Elven king glanced up to see a few birds flying about in a group.

'_I am surprised for I never expected to see these birds around here. In fact, these birds are native to wooded areas,'_ he thought.

He carefully watched them as they danced around the sky above him. As if out of curiousity, one of them turned its head towards the elf and stared for about two seconds before darting off to join the others.

"This is very interesting," Thranduil muttered.

He stepped back a few steps before heading to find…someone, never noticing the birds landing on a nearby ledge. They watched him move through the streets as if watching. They glanced between each other with a knowing glance before taking off again.

00000

Aragorn followed the guards down into the dungeon and stepped up to the cell containing Lecerne. The gargoyle was now sitting cross-legged in the middle of the floor, eyes closed. He seemed to be peaceful and Aragorn wondered if he should dare talk to him at all. The man motioned to the guards, turning his back and began to head back out the door.

"Why?"

Aragorn glanced over his shoulder, confused by the statement. He turned his stare back to Lecerne, who now had his eyes open and had them locked in a deadly stare with his own.

"Why did you send them in here?" demanded Lecerne.

"Send who? I have no idea what you're talking about. I know Nanaylia came to see you earlier but she wanted to…" Aragorn started.

"Not them! The advance scouts. I'm not as stupid as you take me to be. You've become allies with them and you want to let them take me back _there_!" the gargoyle spat out.

Lecerne, now crouched in a sitting position, was poised to attack them at a moment's notice. Aragorn placed a hand on the hilt of his sword, unsure what to expect.

"They're not going to take me alive! I won't allow it!" Lecerne roared at them.

He lunged for them, grasping the bars with his hands. Aragorn and the guards had to take a step back from the suddenness of the attack. Lecerne continued to roar, using all his strength to pry open the door. The men were shocked to see that the gargoyle was slowly succeeding.

00000

Elladan carefully watched Nanaylia as they walked down the streets of Minas Tirith. As happy as Elladan was to see her again, he was worried about both her and Legolas. He gently touched her shoulder, taking notice she hadn't said anything for quite a while. He gave a small sigh, hoping to cheer her up.

"Nanaylia, you cannot keep this silent spell up forever. _Something_ has to turn up," he quietly told her.

"I know Elladan but you already know the answer to that. You know it could be years," she barely replied.

Elladan didn't what else to say for everything had already been said. His gaze went over the people nearby. He wondered what would happen if the gargoyle ever freed himself from his prison. Elladan figured it would most likely be chaos.

Abruptly, Nanaylia stopped dead in her tracks. Elladan had to turn slightly in order to look at her. All colour drained from her face as she stared down the adjoining street. Elladan glanced down the street, wondering what was happening

"Nanaylia, what is the matter?" Elladan cautiously asked.

"He is free," was all she said.

A roar soon filled Elladan's ears just before he saw everyone panicking and trying to get out of his way. Lecerne soon stopped and glanced around the area, as if looking for something or someone. He grinned once he saw Nanaylia and advanced towards her.

"You will be coming with me," he growled.

"No, you are not taking her anywhere!" Elladan protested.

He stepped between them only to be grasped the collar and lifted into the air. The gargoyle growled before throwing him at a nearby building. Elladan felt his head crack against the hard wall and fell to the ground. He tried to stand back up but failed, falling to the ground in a heap. Nanaylia began to ran towards him.

"Elladan!" Nanaylia cried out.

"Forget about him! You're mine anyway!" Lecerne snapped at her.

He grasped her arm just before she reached him while Aragorn, Thranduil, Elrohir and Gimli all made their way onto the scene. Elrohir took notice of his brother and hurried over to his side as the others slowly made their way towards Lecerne.

"You will not keep her from me this time," he told them.

They all knew now there was no turning back: Legolas was indeed gone and he fully intended to take his sister with him.

"We just can't let them leave! I won't let the elf back out on anything!" protested Gimli, lifting his axe.

"What can we do Gimli? We've already stated there's nothing to do and he's a gargoyle. Gargoyles are a determined race," Aragorn quietly said.

As much as the dwarf didn't like it, they were correct. Looking upwards, he saw several birds flying about and it appeared the flock was growing by every passing second.

"Aragorn, look at them," breathed Gimli.

It took the man a few seconds to realize what Gimli was talking about. He took a sharp intake of air at the amount of birds that had already gathered above his fair city and was more than stunned when he saw more arriving. The birds were making their way to every nook and cranny.

Every ledge in sight was filled with them.

Everyone looked in Lecerne's direction, who appeared to be in a state of shock. Fear had already crossed his face as he tried to back away from them with Nanaylia in tow.

"What do you want from me? I already gave you my answer! I will not change!" Lecerne yelled out at them.

He never noticed the two ravens diving directly for him until the last possible moment. They flapped around his head and he lifted his arms to stop them from pecking his face. Nanaylia dropped from his grasp and slowly made her way towards her father, who held onto her for dear life.

The ravens flew away from the gargoyle and stood on the paved road a few feet away from him. They simply stared at him.

"You can't possibly change me back! I swore my allegiances long ago!" Lecerne told them.

He never got an answer from them, as he expected but he did feel a strange tingling sensation within his gut. His mouth tried to hide the feeling but he soon failed. Lecerne began to bare his teeth, grasping his hair with his hands and screamed as the tingling moved across his entire body, from head to toe.

A flash of light emitted from the very spot Lecerne was standing. When it subsided, the gargoyle's body went slack and fell to the ground.

"What…just happened?" questioned Gimli.

"I have no idea. I know I have never seen anything like it. Father?" Nanaylia replied.

Thranduil shook his head as he watched the two ravens as they hopped over to them. The one cocked its small head, as if looking over them. It cawed before taking to flight and the others quickly followed.

So as soon as it started, it was over.

Thranduil watched them leave as Nanaylia broke free from her father's grasp and hurried over to the gargoyle. Gently placing a hand on his shoulder, she was confused.

"Aragorn, get over here!" she cried out.

The man hurried over to them, with Gimli and Thranduil close behind them. They immediately noticed what she called them over for: his arm had already started to become more Elven.

"How is this possible? How did those birds have enough power to do _this_?" Gimli finally asked.

"I have no idea," Nanaylia replied.

TBC…


	13. A Mind Game

Thranduil quickly made his way through the streets, carrying the lifeless form of the gargoyle in his arms. Nanaylia stayed right by his side, a hand on her brother's arm. They were closely followed by Gimli and Aragorn, who refused to budge from their friend's side.

Elrohir had not joined them for he had taken the still unconscious Elladan to the Houses of Healing and was going to catch up later.

The elder Elf burst through the door of the empty room and laid Lecerne on the bed. The three were amazed at how fast the change was spreading. Already, they could see many of Legolas' Elven features appearing past the tough gargoyle skin.

"How did this happen? What did those birds do?" questioned Gimli.

"I don't know but whatever they did, it's helping Legolas return to his Elven form," Aragorn replied.

Thranduil laid his son onto the bed and placed a hand on his arm. The king's thoughts ran back to the times where he almost lost one or both of his children and the immense grief that came with it. He glanced over Lecerne's body and narrowed at the dark patches starting to appear all over the gargoyle's body.

"What manner of magic is this?" he wondered out loud.

The bruises continued to appear all over Lecerne's body. Nanaylia carefully placed a hand by her brother's arm, the possibilities running through everyone'smind.

"They don't look recent. He may have been tortured before he was changed into a gargoyle and they were slowly healing over the past few weeks," Aragorn offered.

Once the remains of the stomach wound appeared, Aragorn almost threw up for it was jagged, red and sore-looking. The herbs raced through Aragorn's mind and which ones he would need for an infection. Gimli stepped up to the bed just as Lecerne turned his head towards him and slightly opened his eyes.

"G…Gimli?" his voice managed to croak.

Everyone who wasn't already on their feet, stood and stared at the figure laying in the bed. Gimli couldn't help but give a small laugh at his friend.

"Yes, Legolas, it is me. How are you feeling?" asked the dwarf.

The gargoyle glanced at everyone in the room before his gaze finally settled on Gimli. It stood there for a moment, as if trying to remember long forgotten memories. Anger filled Lecerne's eyes as he tried to reach for the dwarf's neck. Thranduil and Aragorn grabbed each of his arms and tenderly forced him back to the bed where Lecerne promptly fell back into a restless sleep.

"This is going to take some time," Aragorn muttered.

Nanaylia glanced in his direction, hoping to get some reassurance about her brother's safety. He gave her a nod before he and Gimli headed out the door. The dwarf was wondering what the man had in mind now. The dwarf was just about to open his mouth to ask when Gandalf stepped before them from an adjoining street. He turned and saw them, giving a sigh of relief.

"I have been looking for you. I need to know what's going on," he told them. "What did those birds do when they were here?"

Gimli and Aragorn glanced at each for a moment, mild surprise on their faces. They turned back to Gandalf, prepared to tell him everything that recently occurred.

00000

Nanaylia gazed at the floor, a hand up to her mouth. She soon stared at her father, a curious look on her face.

"Mother once told Legolas and I that Shiloria had a lot of birds living in their woods. Maybe it was indeed them," she mused.

Thranduil gave a disbelieving laugh as he turned his attention to her. He shook his head as a knock quietly tapped on the door.

"Those are stories your mother told you just to amuse your young minds! Shiloria elves have never existed!" Thranduil scolded.

"Don't be so quick to dismiss such things, Thranduil, son of Orophin, for I am certain that there were probably more than a few people who believed Sauron to be nothing but a myth," a voice called to them.

The two elves turned to see where the voice had come from to find Gandalf standing in the doorway, holding his staff. Thranduil narrowed his eyes at the istari, obviously upset over the accusation.

"And what would know of the Shilorian elves, Mithrandir? Have you ever met one? I know _I_ have not," Thranduil irately stated.

Gandalf ignored the elder elf and stepped past everyone and knelt beside Lecerne. Placing a hand on the gargoyle's arm, Gandalf carefully looked over him and sighed. He glanced between Nanaylia and Thranduil.

"What is the matter Gandalf? Surely you can tell us what has happened to him," Nanaylia pleaded with him.

"Thranduil, Nanaylia I don't know much about Shiloria but I think I know enough to tell you that they do use birds as their messengers. Whether or not they are used as magical conduits is another story," Gandalf told them.

The two of them stared at each other in disbelief for several moments before either of them could bring themselves to say anything.

"If is indeed true that they helped us, then I do not understand why they would help someone like Legolas. As far as I understand, we mean nothing to them," Thranduil protested.

Gandalf remained silent as Lecerne began to stir from his sleep. He cracked open his eyes with Nanaylia in his line of sight. He lifted a hand and began to caress her cheek, which was filled with tears.

"Do not cry. You are safe and I am here. I have no intention of leaving you again," he quietly told her.

He began to entangle his fingers within her hair. She watched as he began to rise slightly and managed to lean in towards her in order to give her a kiss, horrifying her. Nanaylia placed a hand on his chest and kept him at arm's length.

"Hold on here. What do you think you are doing?" she questioned.

"I love you Narcissis. Why do you keep avoiding me?" he wondered.

Thranduil jumped to her aid and sat on the bed, grasping onto Lecerne's shoulders, holding him back. He protested slightly but he apparently had no strength left. There were tears in his eyes over what occurred as he turned towards his daughter. Nanaylia slowly shook her head, lowering it slightly. Gandalf didn't say anything, observing everything he could.

"It is almost like we do not know you at all. One moment, it looks like Legolas is emerging, the next Lecerne shows back up," Nanaylia sighed.

"I know exactly who I am!" retorted Lecerne.

Gandalf stepped up to the bed, staff in hand and his eyes were narrowed. He slowly waved his staff over Lecerne's body. He was somewhat confused about the sensations he felt. The istari lowered his staff as Thranduil and Nanaylia turned their stares towards him.

"Keep an eye on him. He may be more trouble than what we think," Gandalf warned them.

Unexpectedly, Lecerne cried out in pain, arching his back. Thranduil was caught off guard as he gently held onto Lecerne's shoulders once again. Everyone tensed up as the gargoyle's entire body began to convulse in uncontrollable spasms. Thranduil became worried over the new development. The spasms lasted for several long moments until the figure slumped into Thranduil's arms and stared at the two elves situated on either of him.

"A…Ada, N…Nanaylia, where am I?" he managed to choke out.

"Legolas…is that really you?" Nanaylia questioned, ignoring his question.

He gave a weak nod as he began to cough, his shoulders shuddering with every movement. His eyes rolled back slightly, his entire body falling completely limp. For a quick moment, the three of them believed he was dead but they saw the slow movements of Lecerne's chest rising. Thranduil moved out from behind him and laid him back onto the bed.

"Whatever just happened, it is helping him. The gargoyle features are further diminishing," Gandalf mused.

"Since the transformation will not be too much of a problem, all we really have to worry about is his mental state. I can only hope Legolas has a strong will to overcome this battle within his mind," Thranduil sighed.

TBC…


	14. The Beginning of the Battle

Elladan groaned, absently lifting a hand up to his head. He could still feel a pounding sensation within his skull as he tried to climb to a sitting position. The elf was more than surprised when a hand tried to push him back.

"What is going on here?" he mumbled.

"Everything will be explained soon, Elladan. What you need now is rest. You got a pretty nasty bump on the side of your head," a familiar voice told him.

Elladan opened his eyes wider and found the fuzzy figure of his brother slowly coming into view. With a hand still on his forehead, he glanced around the room. There were a few others milling nearby, tending to people laying on nearby beds.

"You are in the Houses of Healing," Elrohir informed him.

Elladan carefully glanced around the room and didn't see either Thranduil or Nanaylia anywhere. He became worried as he returned his stare towards his brother, worried that something drastic happened to Legolas.

"Tell me what happened!" demanded Elladan.

"But Elladan…" began Elrohir.

The injured elf shot his brother a nasty glare for he wasn't in the mood to play any waiting games. Elladan knew he wouldn't be able to wait very long and if Nanaylia or his unborn child were in danger, he'd be first in line.

"It's Legolas. The birds did – something - to him and now the effects of Sauron's meddling are reversing. Thranduil and Nanaylia are with him as we speak but we are still in the unknown. Physically, he is an elf again but everyone is worried about him mentally," Elrohir finally explained. "So far, it has not been good."

Elladan couldn't help but give a sigh as he covered his face with his hands. Elrohir placed a hand on his brother's arm, hoping to give him some sort of comfort. He found it difficult to muster for he had little himself.

"Is he allowed visitors?" the question unexpectedly came.

Elrohir, caught mildly off-guard, was visibly broken out of his reverie and he turned his attention back to his brother. He appeared slightly befuddled by the unexpected question. Elladan immediately noticed this and gave a tiny laugh.

"Is he allowed visitors? I would like to see my friend as soon as I am able to leave here," repeated Elladan.

"Not many. Only the two of us, his father and sister, Aragorn, Gimli and Gandalf are permitted into the room. I only wish Legolas was in a better condition," Elrohir replied, giving a small nod.

Elladan placed his hands back down across his stomach, the events of the past several weeks replaying in his mind. After everything that his friend had suffered through, Elladan did not want to see Legolas lose to Sauron, even after the fact he was destroyed by Frodo.

00000

Aragorn carefully tapped on the door. He heard a 'come in' before entering. Nanaylia and Thranduil sat beside the bed as Legolas slept soundly underneath the covers. The first thing Aragorn noticed about his friend was the complete lack of gargoyle features.

'_Well, at least he's back to being an elf again,'_ he thought.

Upon reaching the bed, the man placed the herbs and water on the nearby table. Neither of the elves barely gave Aragorn a second look.

"Has there been any reaction recently?" Aragorn wondered.

The two really didn't answer, barely taking notice of his presence. With her fingers intertwined with each other, Nanaylia glanced back towards her brother and gave a sigh. As she placed her forehead against her hands, Thranduil placed a hand on her shoulder and gently squeezed before finally answering.

"He was talking in his sleep while you were gone, Aragorn. The bruises have stopped appearing and they are just about everywhere on his body. I never looked at the stomach wound since you left for I do not have the heart to bear it at the moment," Thranduil told Aragorn, his gaze never leaving his daughter.

Aragorn nodded as he knelt beside Legolas. The elf laid there with an arm over his waist, his hands grasping the sheets in a death grip. Aragorn could hear the slight murmurs escaping Legolas' lips. The man tried to carefully lift the elf's arm enough in order to move the blanket when a hand harshly grasped his wrist. The trio glanced to see Legolas staring at them with wide eyes.

"What do you think you are doing? No one dares touch a gargoyle in any way!" Legolas snarled at him.

"Legolas, look at you! You are no longer a gargoyle! You are an elf! " Thranduil almost yelled at him.

The younger elf's eyes darted towards Thranduil, the intensity burning bright in his eyes. Thranduil gulped as he could see the beads of sweat pouring down his son's face. Legolas continued to hold onto Aragorn's wrist though he never allowed his stare to waiver.

"I have already told you that Legolas no longer exists. I am Lecerne, through and through. You will have to deal with me!" the elf snapped at them.

Aragorn carefully studied his friend, contemplating the situation and what exactly to do next: he had to tend to the wound but if he wasn't allowed near, it could certainly lead to death for the elf. Unexpectedly, Legolas blinked a few times before glancing from side to side, looking somewhat bewildered.

"Aragorn?" he questioned.

Thranduil and Nanaylia's heads shot up and turned towards their family member. Thranduil quickly moved to Legolas' side and the younger elf appeared to be in total shock. Aragorn didn't dare move his arm until he knew for certain the elf's state of mind.

"Legolas, do you remember anything?" Thranduil wondered.

Legolas began to open his mouth but stopped, as if trying to search his memory. He glanced up to his father and managed to gulp before answering.

"Not much. I remember the battle at Pelenner Fields and the orc that confronted me. After that, I woke up in a dark room with two other orcs or Uruk-hai – I do not remember which. Between them and Sauron, they tortured me for a while before I fell unconscious. After that, I only have scattered memories until I awoke here," Legolas quietly managed to get out.

The elf breathed heavily as he finally released Aragorn's wrist. The man carefully reached for the bowl with the mixed herbs in it and gently placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Legolas, I need to…" started Aragorn.

"I know he is here Aragorn. You need not hide it from me," Legolas interrupted.

"What…?" Aragorn sputtered out.

Legolas' eyes frantically switched from Aragorn to his father and sister. His stare went to her bulging stomach and he blanched before turning back to his father.

"Get her out of here before he surfaces again! I know exactly what he would do if he had the chance! He will attack her if he has the right reason for it!" Legolas growled at them.

"Who exactly are you talking about? There is no one else here," Thranduil retorted.

"You were just talking to him! Lecerne! Somehow, Sauron managed to separate the gargoyle persona from everything else in my mind and gave it its own identity. Now, he wants to get rid of me! He wants possession of this body. I have a feeling he knows I am here but I believe he will not admit it. I am fighting him but I do not know how much longer I can last," Legolas argued.

"Legolas, please do not give up. I was dreaming of the day when my child is born and you were one of the first faces they see. I do not want to lose you like this!" Nanaylia cried out.

Despite her brother's earlier protest, she moved closer to the bed and sat down next to him. The tears began to appear in his eyes and managed to choke back a sob. Placing a hand on hers, he barely gave a reaction.

"I cannot promise anything, not even to you and Ada. If Lecerne does indeed win, I do not want you to worry about me. I know all of you have been doing your best to help me," Legolas told them.

Nanaylia suddenly surprised by leaning in closer to him until she was only a few inches from his nose. She had a stern look on her face that demanded not to be reckoned with.

"You will win for you are the son of Thranduil. You should know all too well that you and I have inherited his stubbornness," she firmly told him.

Legolas was stunned enough that he couldn't respond. All he could give was a small nod, taking a gulp before turning his stare towards Aragorn.

"Now what were you saying earlier Aragorn? I kind of interrupted you," Legolas told him.

The man could only smile at his elven friend and proceeded to explain what needed to be done.

TBC…


	15. On the Warpath!

Elladan carefully opened the door. As he glanced around the room, he took notice of the dim light and silence surrounding everything until his stare rested on Legolas. He gave a sigh, feeling helpless at the situation. Elladan stepped up to the bed and sat on the nearby chair.

"Legolas, I only hope that you can get through this intact, body and mind," he whispered.

As he carefully watched his friend from his friend's side, he thought about what was already said about the current situation. Elladan inwardly knew he had to expect any sudden reactions and mildly regretted coming to visit Legolas by himself.

"I know you can do this. After all that you have already suffered through with your sister, this cannot be what finally breaks you," Elladan muttered.

He placed his head into his hands, never noticing Legolas move his eyelids slightly. The Mirkwood elf tried to groan but found he didn't have the voice.

'…_this cannot be what finally breaks you.' _

The words danced around in front of his eyes as if they were taunting him. Legolas soon found he really didn't like the words and was beginning to grow very angry. A growl was starting to emit from his throat, which quickly caught Elladan's attention.

"Legolas?" he wondered.

Standing up, he cautiously walked over to the bed side, unsure what to expect. Placing a hand on his friend's shoulder, Elladan anticipated a reaction…but he didn't get one; the growl coming from Legolas left as quickly as it came. Exhaling the air he was holding, he let his shoulders slump slightly.

"I fear this will eventually wear down everyone," Elladan sighed.

A hand shot towards the surprised elf and grasped his throat. Elladan's eyes bulged as he looked at Legolas, who was glaring at him with cold stare.

"Legolas, w-what are you d-doing?" Elladan managed to choke out.

"Something that I should have done a long time ago," the reply came.

Legolas began to rise off the bed, the terror building within Elladan's mind as to what his friend had intended to do with him now.

"Whatever you are planning, you will not get far," Elladan warned him.

"I plan on it," Legolas smirked.

00000

Thranduil stepped up to the door, a pitcher in hand. The thoughts swirled through his mind as to what his only son was going through.

"I wish this would end soon," he quietly said.

Unexpectedly, he found the door flinging open towards him. Briefly stumbling backwards, he felt someone shove him towards the ground. As he fell, Thranduil dropped the pitcher of water and its contents spilled everywhere.

"What the…?" Thranduil started.

Looking up, the look on his face turned to absolute horror as he saw the outline of his son towering above him, bathed in the diminishing sunlight. With only a pair of leggings on, Legolas had a hard look in his eyes.

"Legolas, what are you doing?" he demanded.

The younger elf laughed, giving a tilted smile. Shaking his head, he leaned down and grabbed Thranduil by the collar.

"Listen to me old elf; I will not be staying here any longer! I won't allow myself to be locked up here like a caged animal! You had your chance to say good-bye to your son and you failed to take it!" Legolas coldly told him.

Thranduil gulped, realizing what was happening: Lecerne had indeed taken possession of the body and now there was nothing they could do. Lecerne lifted up Thranduil with one hand until he was a few inches off the ground and flung him towards the wall. The king fell into a heap alongside the building and didn't rise. Lecerne quietly laughed before continuing on his way.

Along the way, several of the citizens glanced in his direction and hurried to get out of his warpath. A few had curious looks on their faces while others had complete horror. The elf stepped up to the main hall and shoved the doors open, revealing a slightly confused Aragorn. Standing next to him were Gimli and Gandalf.

"Legolas, what are you doing here?" the man demanded.

"I'm here to kill the lot of you!" Legolas yelled at them.

Gandalf's face turned completely white as he, along with the others, realized precisely what was happening.

"Lecerne has taken complete control of his mind," Gandalf whispered.

Lecerne advanced towards the trio as the guards began to circle the elf. Gimli joined the guards as he grabbed his axe. Inwardly, he hoped not to use it against his friend.

"I don't want to hurt you," the dwarf told him with a gruff voice.

"I don't care what you want and don't you worry. I am not afraid to hurt you," Lecerne laughed.

He lunged for the dwarf, who barely managed to dodge out of the way. With a wild look in his eyes, he turned towards Gandalf, who held out his staff.

"Istari, as much as you want it to be and no matter how powerful you are, I will not release my hold on this body," Lecerne growled at him.

00000

As Nanaylia moved closer to the building, she knew something was wrong. With the door wide open and moving in the gentle wind, fear overwhelmed her. The colour drained from her face as she turned the corner and found her father lying on the ground with a few people surrounding him.

"Father!" she cried out.

She ran over to him and knelt beside him. She glanced up at the few men and women who surrounded them, her eyes pleading for an answer. One of the women placed a hand on her shoulder, not even trying to disguise the horror upon her face.

"It was your brother, dear. He barged out of the room, lifted your father off the ground before throwing him against the wall. One of the dark-haired elves is inside, I can't tell which one. He's being treated for his injuries. He mentioned he was sorry about letting everyone down, especially the love of his life," she told Nanaylia.

The female elf narrowed her eyes, the anger growing deep within her. A growl started to emit from her throat as she stood up. She drew herself closer to the woman, who was worried about what was going to happen next.

"Which way did he go?" she sternly said.

The woman and a few others pointed in the direction of the main hall and Nanaylia immediately found her feet moving along the road.

00000

Gimli, Aragorn and Gandalf carefully encircled the elf, preparing for any sudden movements. The guards were now stationed outside each of the doors, preventing the elf from having an easy escape. Lecerne eyed each and every one of them. He quietly laughed, crossing his arms.

"Do you honestly believe that you can defeat me? I may have lost my gargoyle form because of _them _but that doesn't mean I can't continue to live on!" Lecerne cried out.

"The only problem is that that body does not belong to you," Gandalf retorted.

Glancing between the three of them, Lecerne burst out laughing. Gandalf studied the elf as much as he could for he didn't know how much longer he would have before the attack came.

When the doors flung open and a growling was audibly heard, all glanced to see who it was and shocked looks appeared on everyone's faces. There stood Nanaylia, the wings on her back and claws bared. A look of fear crossed Aragorn and Gandalf's faces as they realized what was happening: something angered her off enough for it to come to this.

"You have gone way too far Lecerne! Give me my brother back!" she shouted.

Lecerne turned towards Nanaylia as she continued to stomp her way towards the group. Inwardly, he was becoming tense at the swiftness she was moving towards him. Drawing her wings to their full length, she grasped Lecerne by the neck. Aragorn attempted to move towards them but she shot him a nasty glare saying 'back off'.

"As I've told these fine men, you know I can't give him back," Lecerne managed to choke out.

"You are unbelievable! If you think that my brother would rather give in than fight, you will dearly regret that. He would rather die than surrender," she snarled.

Lecerne smirked as he tried to reach for her cheek, only to find a hand smacking it away. Nanaylia quickly rushed forward and forced her brother's body against the wall.

"Give him back now or else," she warned him.

Aragorn, Gimli and Gandalf hurried to her side. Her stare never wavered from the elf she called her brother.

"You don't have to do this Nanaylia. We could find another…" started Aragorn.

"We cannot find anything! Legolas has obviously lost his mental battle with him. I know he would rather die than know that this monster lives on within his body. He attacked my father, leaving him to die in these cold streets and Elladan is being treated for further injury," Nanaylia harshly told them.

Gandalf shook off the astonishment as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Come now, child. We shall have to deal with this somewhere else. It would cause too many questions here," Gandalf quietly told her.

"Listen to him, lass. I've learned to trust Gandalf's advice," Gimli agreed.

She gave a huff before releasing Lecerne from her grasp. Placing a hand on his chest, he gasped for air. Aragorn and Gimli stepped up to the elf and prepared to escort him to the dungeon. As Gandalf began to usher Nanaylia out of the building, her wings began to disappear. Lecerne took notice of this action out of the corner of his eye and laughed.

"Bad mistake she-elf. You should have killed me when you had the chance!" he yelled.

He broke free from the man and dwarf's grips and lunged for her. Gandalf immediately stepped in between them and lifted up his staff. A bright light emitted from the stone on top and Lecerne stopped dead in his tracks. Screeching out in agony, he grasped his hair and his entire body seized up.

When the light faded, Lecerne's arms dropped to his side, his body falling completely slack and fell to the ground. Shocked, Aragorn and Gimli stared at Gandalf with wide eyes.

"What did you do that for?" demanded Gimli.

Gandalf looked in the dwarf's direction, glancing towards Aragorn before turning fully to Nanaylia. He gave a sigh, knowing he couldn't keep this from them for very long.

"It was the only way to save him," Gandalf replied.

TBC…


	16. Battle of the Wits

Legolas groaned. He immediately realized his eyes were closed and he desperately wanted to open them. The other thing he noticed was that he was lying on the ground. After a few attempts, Legolas managed to open his eyes and he blinked a few times. As he tried to climb to his feet, he placed a hand on his head.

What he saw boggled his mind: surrounding him was a blackness unlike anything he had ever seen. He was utterly confused as he tried to look around the area, trying to figure out where he had ended up. There was absolutely no sense of direction for up looked like down and Legolas was amazed by the tiny sparkles of light dotting everywhere around him.

"Where am I?" he questioned out loud.

"We're in the deep recesses that you like to call your pathetic little mind. You can thank your istari friend for this," a voice called out to him.

Legolas twirled around to find Lecerne standing some distance away from him. The gargoyle had his arms crossed, his tail was moving back and forth and his wings were ever so slightly twitching.

"What do you want?" demanded the elf.

"Same thing I wanted ever since I came into being: possession of this body. For a short time, I actually overcame you. Unfortunately, Mithrandir had other plans when he took me down with that staff of his. Now, for the moment at least, we're stuck with each other again," Lecerne explained.

Legolas gulped as he took in what the gargoyle was telling him. He remembered how Lecerne did indeed overtake him and the next thing he knew was a bright light coming directly for him.

"I do not want to fight you," Legolas snarled at him.

"Of course you don't. That's why you lost the first time," Lecerne muttered.

Legolas shook his head and began to walk away from the gargoyle, desperately wanting to avoid a confrontation. The elf only wished for the whole thing to end.

"You'd better be careful elf. You just might get what you want. You can't keep anything hidden from me," Lecerne called out to him.

Legolas turned around and narrowed his eyes at the gargoyle. Lecerne sauntered up to Legolas with a smirk across his face. Legolas remained emotionless as he tried to avoid the glares of the gargoyle.

"You won't be able to get rid of me completely, no matter what you would like to believe. Whether or not I am in control of this body, I will continue to haunt you until the day this body dies," Lecerne taunted him.

As much as he was trying to control it, Legolas could still feel the anger welling up inside of him. The only thing he wanted to do now was to punch Lecerne right in the face but managed to resist. He knew it would accomplish nothing. The gargoyle began to laugh as he started to circle the elf.

"Do you want to know what I'm seeing right now?" questioned Lecerne.

"Not really. I have noticed that you have very morbid thoughts. I do not want to think what you would do with my sister," Legolas replied.

Lecerne stopped moving and Legolas brushed past the gargoyle. The gargoyle burst out laughing as he watched the elf march away from him. Legolas balled his fists as he continued to move away, barely paying any attention to the insane gargoyle

"I'll tell you anyway! What I see is a coward! Someone who's given up on any chance that he might regain any shred of his former life! You're pathetic!" Lecerne yelled at him.

Legolas twirled around, grabbing his arrow and notching it with an arrow faster than what the gargoyle expected but it didn't faze him in the least.

"What did you just say?" Legolas demanded.

"You heard me! I called you a coward! You always have been. Anything that ever happened to you, you were more than willing to give up before it even began. Remember when you and your sister got lost all those millennia ago? You gave up and nearly died. You didn't want to see the gargoyles again after your first encounter so you tried to warn your friends against going into the Dark Forest. Look what that got you anyway; Manlin took complete control of your father's kingdom and all you wanted to do was run," Lecerne replied.

Legolas gritted his teeth, not wanting to listen to what Lecerne was saying. His bow slightly quivered as Lecerne steadily walked up to him, who had a grin crossing his face. The gargoyle grasped the end of the arrow and aimed it downwards in order to get a better look at the elf.

"Did I hit a touchy subject? Apparently, someone's still cautious about their failings. I also happen to know you still carry around some guilt from your sister's 'supposed' death. Despite being the son of a king, your life has gone nowhere. I know that your attempt to destroy my master have proven useless. There will be another to rise up and fill this world with fear and dominance as it rightfully deserves," Lecerne told him.

Legolas couldn't believe what he was hearing. He dropped his bow completely and grabbed his hair with both hands. He began to step backwards, shaking his head and unwilling to listen to the gargoyle's words.

"You will never win! I will completely take over this body and conquer this world with your sister by my side!" Lecerne roared at him.

Legolas growled, narrowing his eyes. He lifted his hand, balled in a fist and let it fly right into Lecerne's face. The gargoyle's head flung to the one side and he gingerly touched his cheek. He quickly looked up at Legolas and began to laugh.

"It looks like there's still some spirit left in you! This is going to be very interesting!" Lecerne commented.

"And you will leave my sister out of this!" Legolas yelled at him.

Legolas lunged for the gargoyle, punching him several more times until the gargoyle fell to his knees. Facing away from the elf, the gargoyle snickered despite the black eyes and the blood dripping from his nose. He turned back towards the elf, the smile still present on his face.

"Now we're getting somewhere," Lecerne mused.

Lecerne lunged for Legolas, who held his ground. The punches were thrown and both sides deflected and dodged the attacks. The gargoyle continued to quietly laugh at the elf as they circled each other. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth as he gave the elf a one-over. Legolas narrowed his eyes, disgusted by Lecerne's attitude towards the whole situation.

"What could possibly be funny?" wondered Legolas.

"Everything is! I was wondering when these feelings would finally surface. Looks like we share the same bloodlust after all," Lecerne quipped.

Legolas growled, filling with anger over the accusation. He balled his hands and lunged for the gargoyle, who took both fists in each respective cheek. As the second knocked him down, the gargoyle spat out some blood.

"Do you like pain? You seem to be getting pure joy out of this," Legolas wondered.

"What does it matter to you? This is almost over and you know there's only going to be one winner," the gargoyle replied.

Legolas gave a small laugh as he crossed his arms, wondering what he was going to do now with his counterpart. As much as Legolas wanted Lecerne out of his life, he didn't want to prove the gargoyle correct. As he thought about any and all possibilities, he failed to notice Lecerne's actions. Suddenly, he found his face full of sand and he recoiled, unable to see.

"You forgot lesson number one: a gargoyle is a dangerous creature so never turn your back on him," Lecerne laughed.

As Legolas struggled to see, he felt a blow to his stomach and the air whooshed out his lungs. He doubled over just as a few more blows connected with his face and upper body. Legolas fell to the 'ground', his legs unable to support him any longer. As Legolas lay there in a prone position, Lecerne grinned from ear to ear.

"To fight or not to fight, either way, you can't win," Lecerne smirked.

With some remnants of the sand still left in his eyes, Legolas attempted to make out Lecerne against the darkness of his mind. The pain coursed through his body and it tried to slow his reaction time.

"Dear Legolas, now I shall prepare you for a wonderful place called oblivion," Lecerne told him.

Raising his arms up, he began to laugh manically over his victory. As he tried to tune out the gargoyle, Legolas' vision finally managed to clear up. He narrowed his eyes as he noticed something laying only a few feet away. Legolas mustered enough strength to smile as he realized it was his bow that he had dropped earlier.

Lecerne glanced back towards the elf and gave a deep sigh. He began to reach for him and before he could move any further, he felt a pain soar through his body. The gargoyle looked downward to see an arrow piercing his chest. His stare went to Legolas, who was now on his back and holding an empty bow in his hands.

"What is this?" Lecerne managed to demand.

"I think this is my victory, Lecerne. This is finally over," Legolas told him.

With his eyes wide open, the gargoyle took a few steps back. The elf watched as Lecerne started to scream and as he started to keel over, his body instantly disappeared into thin air. Legolas dropped the bow and laid on his back, taking deep breaths.

Unexpectedly, a wind picked up from somewhere and before Legolas could react, his own body started to disappear. Fear never had a chance to cross his mind until there was nothing left but the lights against the dark sky.

TBC…


	17. The Shape of Things to Come

Aragorn sat silently beside the bed as Gimli continued to pace back and forth at the foot. The man watched every impatient move the dwarf made. He wondered how much longer it would take before Gimli went completely out of his mind. Aragorn placed his elbow on the nighttable and rested his chin within his hand as the dwarf stopped and marched over to him.

"How much longer will we have to wait? It has already been several hours!" Gimli demanded.

"I am unsure Master Dwarf. Whatever Gandalf did to him, it certainly worked," Aragorn commented.

Gimli's stare went to the lifeless form of his Elven friend. Legolas' breathing was the main indication that he was even still alive. The only concern now was when – and if - Legolas would ever wake up from this coma.

"My question is what's going to happen when Legolas wakes up and Lecerne is still in control? We obviously can't let him free yet he can't stay here in Minas Tirith. He'd be too much of a threat," Aragorn put forth.

Gimli gave a deep sigh, thinking about everything that happened ever since Legolas, with Lecerne in control, barged into the main hall, threatening to kill them all. His stare went to Nanaylia, who had long since fallen asleep with her upper body sprawled over her brother's feet.

"I never thought she'd settle down. She is indeed a feisty elf," mused the dwarf.

"She's always been a hard one to keep still for very long. I've known her for over 15 years and I'm surprised she lasted this long," Aragorn replied.

A soft knock came to the door and Aragorn silently walked across the room. He gently opened the door to reveal Gandalf, who gave a tiny smile to both him and Gimli.

"How is he faring?" he asked.

"He's the same as before. Gandalf, it has been hours since the incident in the hall, shouldn't we have seen _some_ sort of reaction by now?" wondered Aragorn.

Gandalf didn't say anything as he stepped up to the bed and placed a hand on Legolas' shoulder. Gandalf lifted his hand to his own chin and gave a small sigh.

"I cannot explain what I've done. All I can tell you is that nothing is certain. He could wake up any moment now or maybe not at all. If he does, I am unsure whether or not it will be in our favour. I wish I knew," Gandalf told them.

Aragorn and Gimli were a bit dumbfounded at the statement. The dwarf stepped torward the istari, the look on his face was not a very happy one.

"Do you mean to tell us that Legolas may have to remain bedridden for the rest of his life? And if he does wake up, it may not be any better than before?" Gimli wanted to confirm.

Gandalf carefully nodded his head as he stepped from the bed. Nanaylia began to stir and she lifted herself off the bed, rubbing her eyes. She lowered her head slightly once she saw Gandalf.

"I am so sorry it had to be this way Nanaylia," he apologized.

She didn't say anything as she looked back towards her brother. Worry crossed her face and the others soon took notice: Legolas was starting to breathe heavily and the sweat began to pour down his face. Aragorn rushed to his friend's side, trying to find any indication to these new development.

"What is happening to him?" she pleaded.

Before Aragorn could answer, Legolas' eyes shot wide open and he was soon gasping for air. His stare turned towards Nanaylia as she grasped his hand. As suddenly as it started, Legolas arched his chest upwards and his breathing stopped completely. His eyes rolled back into his head and his limp body fell back to the bed. The tears ran down Nanaylia's face as Aragorn gave Legolas a quick look over. With a somber look, he shook his head as he turned to the female elf.

"I am sorry it had to be like this. It must have been too much for him," he told her.

Tears began to run down her face as she absently ran a hand over her stomach. Gandalf remained silent as he watched the scene play out. Carefully studying Legolas, the istari stepped back into the corner.

As Aragorn and Gimli turned away from the elves to leave, a sudden gasp took them all by surprise. The trio was completely shocked as Legolas began to take deep breaths of air into his lungs. His eyes fluttered several times, as if trying to focus them again. He grasped onto his sister's hand as hard as he could.

"L..Legolas…?" she questioned.

The elf turned towards her and simply stared at her. Both Aragorn and Gimli prepared themselves for any sudden movements. A small smile managed to creep onto Legolas' face.

"Nanaylia, it is over. It is finally over," he managed to say.

00000

Aragorn sat in the main hall, a hand up to his chin as he thought about his friend. Gandalf moved up to the table and sat down beside him. The man glanced in his direction, the curiousity crossing his face.

"How did you know that would work, Gandalf?" he wondered.

"I didn't. But I knew that all Legolas needed was some time and I managed to give it to him," Gandalf replied.

Aragorn returned his stare to the wall as Gandalf began to stand up. The istari headed towards the door, deciding it would be best to check up on Legolas again.

"Gandalf, wait!" Aragorn called out to him.

He stopped himself just before reaching the door and turned his head enough to hear what Aragorn had to say.

"Gandalf, what _do_ you know of these Shilorian elves?" wondered the man.

"You need not worry yourself over such things, Aragorn. If the occasion comes along, then I shall answer any questions you may have. Until then, there's nothing I can tell you," Gandalf replied.

He left the room, leaving a perplexed Aragorn behind.

00000

Legolas carefully pulled the tunic over his head and placed the quiver in the rightful place on his back. It felt like an old friend had returned and it was good to have him back. A soft knock came to the door, breaking Legolas out of his reverie.

"Come in," he called out.

Elladan carefully opened the door and Legolas stiffened slightly once he saw who it was. Elladan gave a sad smile as he walked up to his longtime friend.

"Legolas do not worry about me. It was not your fault, it was…" he started.

"But I still feel responsible, Elladan. I cannot remember much, only bits and pieces but my father and sister told me about each and every bloody action that _I _had taken. You and my father ended up getting hurt by _my_ hand despite the fact that Lecerne was in control of my mind," Legolas explained.

Elladan remained quiet, taking in the words his friend had spoken before placing a comforting hand on Legolas' shoulder.

"Listen, I am not placing blame on you. I am certain your father would not either. Now Lecerne is gone and we have nothing to worry about now except your sister. Nanaylia will have our child in a few months and you will be there after all. Besides, I seem to remember that your own sister had a small identity crisis soon after she was recovered alive," Elladan told him.

Legolas couldn't help but give a small laugh. He couldn't forget all the times she nearly attacked him during that time. The Mirkwood elf walked over to the window and stared out of it, intently watching the birds flying by. Elladan stepped up to his friend's side and saw the mesmerized look on Legolas' face. As the dark-haired elf opened his mouth to speak, Legolas turned his head enough acknowledge his friend.

"It is the birds. The one thing I remember clearly is the birds. What is so special about them? What do they mean?" Legolas posed.

Elladan shook his head and lifted his hands, unable to give an answer as one of the birds landed outside the window. It cocked its head at them and it ruffled feathers. It chirped a few times before heading back to join the others.

"What do you suppose that was all about?" wondered Elladan.

"I have no idea," Legolas replied.

The End.

There you go. Hope there were a few who enjoyed it. Stay tuned for the big one is on its way. :) (At least I think it's the big one.).


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